


Still Me

by Frin



Series: Still Me [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, Fluff, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-05
Updated: 2014-03-05
Packaged: 2018-01-14 15:41:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 33,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1272094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frin/pseuds/Frin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace, I dream at night I can only see your face. I look around but its you I can't replace. I feel so cold and I long for your embrace...The Police</i>
</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace, I dream at night I can only see your face. I look around but its you I can't replace. I feel so cold and I long for your embrace...The Police_

"Rose!" he exclaimed as she stormed up the beach. He followed, trying to take her hand again.

"Leave me alone!" she growled, pushing him away.

He stood watching her departing back with his hands clutching the back of his head.

"I would leave her for a bit, Doctor," Jackie said quietly at his side, "she's had it rough these past few years."

He looked down at Jackie, his eyebrow raised in question. 

"It was awful," Jackie continued. "She just closed in when we got here. Like giving up. She didn't sleep, didn't eat, hardly even talked." The Doctors eyes glanced back up to the disappearing figure in the distance.

"Then...one day...I found her in her room, she had taken an overdose, she nearly died." His eyes glistened with fresh moisture.

"It was touch and go. Anyway, she went into therapy, which was hard. How do you be honest about someone like you without people thinking you're barmy?" Jackie wiped a tear from her cheek.

They started to walk in the direction that Rose had stormed off.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

"Pete stepped in, couldn't bear to see her like that. He instructed Torchwood to start development for new ways to cross from different universes by reading rift gaps. It took a while but Rose threw herself into the project, got heavily involved. When the Dimension Cannon was finished she was almost like her old self. She was coming to you. Oh, I put up a fight; but I knew. She was only ever going to be happy by finding you, even if it meant never seeing me again. When the Darkness came, she really thought it was fate."

By now they had made it to the road. Rose sat on a bench facing out to sea. Her arms were crossed, her expression fixed.

"It's still me," he said simply, sitting next to her. She didn't react. Her face was like stone.

Jackie carried on talking as they waited for the taxi that Pete had arranged to pick them up. Small talk, silly words; as Rose was getting more and more irritated.

"It took some getting used to, I can tell you Doctor..." she laughed. He had not really said much as she rattled on, just the odd nod or the right noise in the right place, while all the time Rose got tenser and tenser. At this she snapped.

"Stop calling him that, Mum! He's not, he's not! He's just some clone, a carbon copy, he looks like him and that's where it ends!" She had jumped up at the beginning of this onslaught quickly followed by him. He grabbed her upper arms firmly, seeking eye contact.

"I don't want you! I want him! How could he do this to me?" Salty tears were tracking down her face.

"Rose, there's something you're missing," he murmured.

"Stop it! Stop trying to be like him, because you're not! You're not!" she screamed.

The taxi pulled up and interrupted the argument for now.

When they got to the hotel Rose got her key and made a beeline for the lift with the Doctor hot on her heels. Jackie remained in Reception deciding it was best to stay out of the way.

As the lift moved upwards the atmosphere was like ice. Then the Doctor snapped. He took a Sonic Screwdriver from his jacket and pointed it at the lift control pad. The lift ground to a halt. Rose stared at him, her lip curling in contempt.

"So, you stole his screwdriver, what does that make you? What you gonna do? How you gonna convince me... Doctor?" She said his name dripping with sarcasm. A muscle was twitching in his cheek. She laughed scornfully. He grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed her against the wall.

"What's this then? The Oncoming Storm?" she quipped, her eyes black with anger.

"It's still me!" he shouted.

"You'll never match up to him," she whispered, her chest rising.

"It really is still me, Rose," he whispered back, his anger drained.

She bought her hands up to his chest laying her palms flat against it and pushed with all her might flinging him into the opposite wall. He banged against it hard. They remained in this position panting. And then she felt it.

There was no denying what she felt in his chest. Her mouth dropped open. She looked into his face. His mouth was also open but she could detect the glimmer of amusement as the penny began to drop. He grabbed her hands keeping them on his chest and smiled.

"I'm still me."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _  
> All the stars are coming out tonight, they brighten up the sky tonight, for you,for you...Take That._

They were both breathing heavily. Rose pulled herself away suddenly staring at him.

He moved his body about clicking his neck and stretching.

"That got the old boy ticking, really Rose, you should be more careful I am over nine hundred years old! Now, what do you say, get the lift going again, get up to your room and talk or are you happy to thrash it out here?"

Rose tried to reply but her mouth just opened and shut like a goldfish. The Doctor took that as a cue to get the lift going. When they reached the right floor he took her by the elbow and guided her to her room. He took her key, opened the door and led her in. Once inside, he sat her on the end of the bed. She was staring at him intently.

"Now," he said pacing up and down the room hands in pockets, "where was I? Oh, yes... still me."

"Really?" she whispered.

"Really, really." She sat digesting this information, still deeply in shock. So he continued, "when I realised what had happened with Donna in the TARDIS, I was in no doubt what was to be done. You remember I took myself out of the console room while we were in the Vortex? We had a heated discussion and he agreed that we should swap. It'll be hard enough for him adjusting to being half human, it would have been cruel to take away the TARDIS from him as well. And the Universe he knows so well. Besides when it comes to you, he's only got one heart to break."

He was by now standing directly in front of her looking everything like the Oncoming Storm.

"So we switched clothes and here I am. And you Rose Tyler, you gave up on me, again!"

"You tricked me! Why did you have to do that? You stopped your heart!" She had found her voice.

"Because, Rose, it had to be convincing. Can you imagine what Jack would have done if he found out? He thought we were going to end up spending the rest of my days together, that was his happily ever after!"

"But what about the TARDIS? What will you do?"

"Rose, I have lived without the TARDIS before and I will miss her." He paused and crouched down in front of her. "When I left you on that beach with those words on my lips I died, Rose, I died. I have never felt such desolation. I tried so hard to find the way back to you. I spent a year retracing our steps, revisiting places we had already been. Then I spent the other searching for a crack, just a small one that I could get through. It was awful. When I discovered that you had found a way back to me I was so happy, nothing was ever going to keep us apart. I can live without the TARDIS but I can't live without you. Rose Tyler, I love you." 

He took her in his arms and she melted in to his. Their lips touched gently at first, then deeper. He broke away first. She looked muddled.

"There is a lot to sort out, I haven't seen you in two years and from what I can gather, it's been longer for you."

Rose felt like he was brushing her off and disappointment seared through her. He caught it on her face.

"What?" he asked, puzzled.

"For a man who has been deprived of the love of his life for two years you have a lot of constraint." She had a glint in her eye.

"I don't want to rush you, Rose." He looked a little flushed.

"Doctor, I've been in love with you for five years!" she spluttered. There was a knock at the door that made them both jump.

"Rose?" Came a muffled voice. The Doctor looked almost relieved as he went to let her in.

"Everything alright?" she asked, looking from one to the other.

"Getting there, Mum," said Rose a bit too brightly.

"Good," Jackie said, for once at a loss for words. "Look, I'm done in, I'm just down the corridor."

They said goodnight and once again, they were on their own. The Doctor gulped nervously.

Then Rose spoke, she spoke not as the girl she had once been, who spoke of forever and rainbows, but as the woman she had become through the life experiences he had given her and through the subsequent pain she had had to endure.

"Commitment isn't always about saying that you are committed, it isn't always about being together. It is about giving each other everything of each other, completely. I want that, Doctor, I want everything of you. I need you in every way and I'm not prepared to play games."

There she had said it. There was no hiding from it. She wanted him.

"Yep, still got it!" he thought as took her in his arms and kissed her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I'm gonna fall from the stars straight in to your arms... Simply Red_

He stopped and rested his lips on her forehead.

"Rose..." he whispered. She lifted her head up to look at him her eyes almost black with hunger for him. It took his breath away.

"Rose... I... want this as much as you but..." he stammered

"Why does there have to be a but?" She licked her lips and pouted.

"Because I want to enjoy you totally. I want... I want to court you, Rose." He grinned his biggest grin as if he had had the most brilliant idea in the world.

"You want to... what?" This was spookily like Donna.

"Court you, woo you. You know, wine and dine, chocolates and flowers and all that..." he trailed off, catching sight of her face.

"That would be fine if I was born in 1887, but I wasn't, I was born in 1987 and I'm a modern girl not a shrinking Violet!" She was stunned.

"And I'm an old fashioned man, in fact I'm an old fashioned Gallifreyan and we had customs that I want to uphold."

"Why do I get the impression that you're stalling?"

"Maybe I am, Rose, but I can tell you this. We both want the same things and I want to commit to you on every level. I want to get to know you again, find out what you've been up to. I want to be part of your life. I also want to savour the moment. I want to have the memory of our union to keep until the end of my days. Lets make it a good one."

"It does seem to be very one sided, but I will respect your wishes. I just don't see how we can go back to holding hands when we know..."

"We both knew before, didn't we, Rose?" he interrupted.

He held her in his arms and as she pressed her face into his chest she inhaled his familiar scent. She felt like she had come home. 

"I think you should get some sleep." he whispered and she nodded, then she stopped and grabbed his hand.

"You... won't..." she stammered.

"I'm staying right here, always," he reassured her.

She took off her jacket and he removed her boots. He walked over to the window and looked out keeping his back to the room so she had some privacy.

"Rose," he said, "come and look." She padded over to him and looked out into the black night. She drew in her breath, the sky was ablaze with stars.

"The stars are coming out. You did that."

"I rather think that that might have been you, Donna and your double."

"He wasn't my double. Anyway, these stars here, they wouldn't be here if you hadn't had the bravery to do what you did." He put his arm around her.

"Okay, I'll give you that one, Rose Tyler, defender of the universe. What do you mean not your double?" She was leaning against him.

"Get to bed, Rose." She rustled out of her jeans and crawled under the blankets.

He turned, took off his jacket, sat on the bed and took off his Converses. Then he got on the bed and lay beside her on top of the covers tucking her into his chest just like they used to.

"What do you mean not your double?" she asked again.

"Rose, I know it's hard to grasp but he actually was me," he said.

"No, you're you." She was so tired.

"Yeah, and so is he. The only difference being some of the physicals, even then I don't actually know how much. One heart would make the regeneration cycle impossible. He'll find out in the TARDIS, then he'll know what he's dealing with. You were giving him such a hard time when you thought I was him, which I am. You would have been just as happy with him if you had given him a chance. He is me, so you would."

Rose ponderd on this, it was like the Doctor was deliberately trying to confuse her.

"What'll happen when everyone finds out?" she asked, yawning.

"Weeell, they aren't likely too for a long while. I mean no one actively looks for two heartbeats on the whole do they? If he were to get ill the TARDIS would treat him of most things. He will age, but that won't be apparent for a long time. If he were to get killed, well, wouldn't be his problem any more."

"What happens to the TARDIS if...when he dies?" The Doctor didn't reply, he just kissed her head, a tear slipping down his cheek.

"So, what you're telling me is that you are still travelling around our old universe in the TARDIS with one broken heart?" she said finally.

"Exactly," he whispered into her hair.

"That doesn't make me feel good." Her lower lip was sticking out.

"He wanted to be here as much as me but I'm the oldest! I chose you. In the long run he will be better off with the TARDIS."

"I feel awful." Rose's voice broke a bit as she thought of that poor man only a few hours old and already having to endure all the rejections.

"Don't worry Rose, you want to count yourself lucky. The human part of him would have had no self control. He probably would have had his wicked way with you on the lift floor judging by how many pheromones were flying about!" The Doctor had a very sneaky smirk on his face.

"Oh!" said Rose looking very conflicted.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I can be brown, I can be blue, I can be anything you like... Mika_

The sun poured in through the windows as Rose woke slowly from the best sleep she had had in over three years.

"Hello," said a familiar voice. Her eyes fluttered open meeting the also familiar brown eyes of the man she loved.

"Morning," she murmured, stifling a yawn.

"I'd forgotten how pink and fluffy you are in the morning," he grinned and bent his head to steal a kiss from her sleep-swollen lips.

"What time is it?" she asked, sitting up and stretching.

"About eleven. Weeell, it's precisely ten fifty eight and twenty two seconds, but who's counting?" The Doctor shrugged.

"What! Why did you let me sleep so long?" 

"It's okay, Jackie called by and she's arranging a breakfast trolley to be sent up. She's gone for a seaweed wrap or something. We decided you needed the sleep." He got up to answer a knock at the door.

"Didn't my mum go bananas when she saw you in here?" Rose asked as he wheeled in a trolley laden with delicious goodies.

"No, surprisingly. I think she was relieved to see how peacefully you were sleeping. She's been really worried about you."

"My mum always worries about me," she muttered.

"That's good really, some mothers don't care enough..." He gazed into space for a bit.

"I s'pose," said Rose with a pout.

"Are you hungry?" he asked brightening up, rubbing his hands together at the prospect of something, hopefully, sweet to eat.

"Yes, actually I am, but I need a wee first." She got out of bed and walked to the bathroom in her t shirt and knickers leaving the Doctor opened mouthed.

When she returned he was standing looking out of the window. She smiled and slipped into her jeans. As soon as he heard her flies zip up he spun round and went to investigate the trolley with great enthusiasm.

They sat there eating pastries and fruit. The Doctor was very impressed with the individual portions of marmalade and jam and proceeded to eat every single one without the aid of a spoon.

"So, Rose Tyler, tell me what you've been doing these past years. How long was it for you?"

"Three and a half years. I wasn't so good at first. Talk about landing on Earth with a bump. I wasn't... couldn't... cope. I'm not ready to..." She looked at him desperately and he leaned over and pulled her on to his lap.

"It was Pete that started to bring me back from what I call my Satan Pit." The Doctor nodded with a sad smile. "He was so good. When Mum had hysterics, he was the calm. He just let me talk and talk. I told him everything that I was feeling. I must have bored him silly! He was my rock. He became my friend and then my father. He's probably the only reason I'm alive now." A tear slipped down her cheek.

"I went to work for Torchwood." She looked into his eyes then, challenging him. "They were working on the Dimension Cannon. When I found out what it could be capable of, I was there. I was worried about ripping holes in space, but we needed to find you, needed your help. They assured me that more damage was being done to my cell structure than to the Universe."

The Doctor looked at her thoughtfully.

"That would be hard to diagnose without..." he was going to say the use of the TARDIS infirmary but thought better of it, "...giving you a thorough medical. I wouldn't be able to comment until I examine and dismantle this Dimension Cannon."

"Dismantle it?" She looked up startled.

"Yep!"

"But they won't... you can't..."

"Just watch me, Rose Tyler, I can do anything, me!" He grinned again, but Rose knew the serious underlines of old. He was deadly serious.

"So, how are we getting out of Norway?" Rose asked changing the subject.

"Jackie said Pete is bringing the jet to Bergen. We'll be leaving for the airport this afternoon. Get you Tyler clan in your jet!"

Rose smiled and stretched.

"I think I'll have a shower," she said, staring at him with obvious intent. The Doctor actually blushed, starting from the neck up. Rose smiled, her tongue touching her teeth and went to the bathroom leaving the door ajar.

As she undressed she smiled to herself. She had waited this long and judging by his reaction to her it would only be a matter of time before his will broke. This game would be fun.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I have climbed highest mountains, I have run through the fields, only to be with you... U2_

As the jet landed on a private air strip in Sussex the Doctor gripped Rose's hand tightly. He hated not being in control of the travel but there were, he conceded, going to have to be compromises. At least for now.

A black limousine waited to take them straight to the Tyler mansion.

Pete Tyler, who had decided not to come out to Norway, greeted them at the big front door with Tony in his arms.

Jackie scooped her little boy into her own arms and fussed and cuddled him. She had nearly died, she might never have seen him again. 

The Doctor looked on, seeing the side to Jackie Tyler that impressed him the most. This was the woman that had bought up his Rose.

"You don't do domestic!" said a little voice inside his head. He felt a warm hand squeezing his and looked down at his beautiful Rose.

"I so need to get out of these clothes!" she said and left him with Pete. Jackie had taken Tony to bed.

Pete extended his hand and shook the Doctors warmly, then ushered him into his office.

"So, what happened?" he asked when they sat down.

"I'm sorry, what?" answered the Doctor.

"Well, all we know here is that the Darkness has gone, the stars are back and Jackie rattled on about there being two of you and that one of you was here."

"Well, what more do you need to know?"

"Ideally? All, but somehow I don't think I ever will, will I?" Pete sat back and observed the Doctor.

"Pete, I'm not really the sort of man who sticks around to tell the story. Just that the Universes are safe is enough."

"Not to worry, Rose will brief me later. What I really need to know is what your intentions are." The Doctor stopped stunned, then cleared his throat.

"Extremely honourable, sir," he said, now this was unfamiliar territory, he hadn't expected that, least of all from this man. "I have nothing but the highest regard for Rose and..."

"No, you plum! I meant what are you going to do? Though I would imagine Rose does figure in that somewhere."

"I'm sorry, no you've lost me, what do you mean... do?" The Doctor knew this game.

"Work man! I mean, there would be nothing I'd like better than to have you come and work at Torchwood but I just wondered if you had any plans?"

"Plans? Ah, plans. I'm not really one for plans, you know. This might be another one for Rose. I would love to come and take a look at what you've got going on down there and I'm happy to lend a hand if there's a problem. I gather the alien activity is a lot more prolific here? As for my plans, I rather hoped Rose and I would be on the move. Places to see and all that."

"How?" Pete asked.

"What?"

"How do you intend to travel? No job, no money, no identity, no spaceship."

"I can get by." The Doctors voice was low.

"Yes, well, things aren't quite the same as they were, are they?"

"I don't see that it's any of your business, okay yes, Rose is your business but what I do is not!"

"Don't be so sure, Doctor, I'm head of Torchwood, we deal with your kind."

"My kind! What on Earth does that mean?" The Doctor was beginning to lose his cool.

"Alien kind," said Pete quietly.

"So, I don't cooperate I become public enemy number one, is that it?" The Doctor stood up leaning over the desk towards Pete.

"No, of course not! I just think you need to be more realistic. You haven't got your spacecraft..."

"TARDIS! It's called a TARDIS!" The Doctor was losing his patience.

"Yes, and we all have Roses welfare to consider."

"Rose is fine! I'll look out for Rose, Rose'll look out for me, same as always!" 

Pete stared at the Doctor trying to gauge him.

"You know, Doctor, this establishment of mine, Torchwood, it was set up in 1879 when Queen Victoria was attacked by an alien. We no longer have a monarchy because of subsequent incidents surrounding this. The decree was that the Torchwood project would protect us all from aliens. You know, I sit here and I play around with the letters forming Torchwood and I find the contents of them questionable."

With that Pete got up and left the room. The Doctor leaned over and plucked the piece of paper that Pete had been scribbling on. In capital letters it read, "DOCTOR WHO?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight. Lead me out on the moonlit floor, lift your open hand, strike up the band and make the fireflies dance. Silver moon`s sparkling, so kiss me... Cranberries_

"Doctor?" Rose faltered at the look on his face as he closed the door to Pete's office. She had just stepped off the bottom step, now wearing a pair of pink pyjamas with little red hearts printed all over them. "You okay?"

"Me? Yes I'm fine, just finding my bearings. I think I could do with a shower." He decided not to go into details about his conversation with Pete. The bottom line was more likely a very confused parental worry. He genuinely believed that Pete didn't give a damn about who, or what, he was.

He needed a space. A space where he could roam freely and think, but that wasn't going to happen in a hurry.

"Sure, I'll... do you... I mean..." Rose stuttered and hung her head. She obviously sensed his feelings and was misreading them. His face softened, he pulled her chin up so her head tilted towards him and pressed his lips onto hers, she responded automatically her tongue searching for his. He pulled back.

"I'll have a shower and then you can come and keep me company... I do need to know where a shower is."

Rose led him up the second floor corridor. She stopped at the first door.

"This is my room." she said shyly. He pushed past her and walked in. "Okaaay..." she said eeking out the vowel with a small smile at his back.

"You can have your own room if you need the space..." she said, why did she sound like the shrinking Violet that she so professed not to be?

"Oh, sorry, do you want me to? I just assumed..."

"No, Doctor, it's fine, I just don't want to suffocate you. You had your own space in the TARDIS and I... this shouldn't be awkward!" She really did feel like a little schoolgirl with plaits.

"Rose, I think that having my own space is a good idea. One, because I hardly ever sleep and sometimes I disturb you and two...well, there isn't another reason. I find it very hard to let you out of my sight, not to actually have constant contact with you. I intend to spend all of the time with you. But, I really do not intend staying here for very long and I do assume that you will be coming with me, arrogant I know, but there it is."

"Where will we go, Doctor?"

"Oh, here and there, we'll find a way."

"But, I thought..." Confusion stormed her head.

"What, Rose? I can't stay in one place forever...I'm not made like that. But I do intend... I do have intentions regarding you. Permanently." Rose opened her mouth and shut it again.

"Come on Rose, out with it. I don't want us hiding from each other. Tell me."

"I can't get my head around the waiting. I need to... I need you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to confuse you, that wasn't fair." He took a deep breath and looked at her. She sat down, completely thrown by the blaze in his eyes.

"Rose, I want you as much as you want me. It's just that what I am proposing is a huge step for you." She said nothing, so he continued, "I need to commit to you on every plain. Definitely physically, but...it's the psyche that I'm holding back on. I need to be in your head and you need to be in mine when we unite. My people had a bonding ceremony, it involves a fusion of our spirits that binds us together, forever."

"Aren't I capable of that?" Rose found her voice.

"Oh, Rose, you have proved to me on so many occasions how capable you are. It surprises me sometimes how perseptive your concious is. I just didn't want to rush you because this is such a huge step. This is more than marriage. I'm asking you to be my life partner and, in human terms, I am proposing marriage."

Rose was across the room in a flash kissing him hard and furious.

"Yes!" she shouted kissing him again. "I'm already yours, I don't care about silly ceremonies but if we need to do this bonding thing, then lets do it! When can we? Do we have to prepare for it? How long? When?"

"Ssshhh," he whispered holding his fingers to her lips. "Now, we can do it now, if you want..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I have no choice, I hear your voice. Feels like flying, I close my eyes. Oh God I think I'm falling out of the sky... Madonna_

"Now?" Rose whispered. The Doctor nodded holding his breath. There was a long, pregnant pause.

"Rose... you don't have to... we can wait."

"No, Doctor, I really want to." The Doctor exhaled and grinned his biggest grin ruffling his hair, his tongue trailing along his teeth.

"Rose Tyler, you never cease to amaze me! You are brilliant and fantastic and..." She shut him up with a kiss which he eagerly returned. She had to pull back for breath, her knees beginning to buckle beneath her.

He removed his jacket and Converses in what seemed like one fluid movement. As he went to grab her again he stopped as if pulled back. He snatched his jacket again and started to rummage through the pockets.

A beige Converse flew across the room followed by a large bundle of brown material, a Sonic Screwdriver, a book, a yo-yo, another Sonic Screwdriver, a small white paper bag and then he stopped, smiling. He produced a little ornate carved box. He pulled Rose to the edge of the bed and sat beside her.

"I've been carrying this around for a long time... really ever since Utah, but I've never had the courage to..." he trailed off, handing her the box.

It was surprisingly warm to her touch. It looked like it was made of pewter but Rose knew it was not of this world. The carvings all over it were something that Rose recognised from little scribblings that the Doctor used to leave all around the TARDIS. It was Gallifreyan writing.

She pressed a little clasp on the edge of the box and it sprung open. Inside there were two beautiful rings, Rose gasped, her eyes shining. One ring was large and rather plain save the engravings that adorned it. The other ring was much finer and more detailed, it had the same Gallifreyan script with intermittent jewels set into it in fantastic colours of reds, oranges and ambers. Both ring were made of the same metal as the box they nestled in.

"These are my grandparents bonding rings, Rose, they hold many vows inscribed across them... hope... faith... love... eternity..." As he said each word he pointed to a symbol. "This is my family name, which I want you to carry."

"But... I?" He pressed his fingers to her lips.

"It can never be spoken, but you will know it as soon as we are bonded and you will carry it with you until the end of days." He took the rings from the box and handed her the larger of them.

"Rose, I offer you this as token and proof that your spirit and mine will bond and become one. In this vow we will remain linked for all eternity. Cassa... Tronnay... Deridiuum..." His tongue curled around the last three words proud and strong. He placed the ring on the third finger of her left hand and kissed it.

"I accept this ring and I give you this as token and proof... that your spirit... and mine will bond... and become one. I cannot live without you and must become one with you. I will love you forever." She faltered a bit through her speech, but the Doctor looked delighted as she placed the ring on his finger and kissed it.

He grinned broadly, a hint of moisture in his eyes.

"So, are we bonded then?" said Rose breathlessly. The Doctor shook his head everso slightly, his eyes blackening.

"The best is yet to come."

He took her hand and led her to the bathroom. Once inside he shut and locked the door.

"This is not a physical thing, Rose, this is a telepathic one. You have to open your mind and let me in. Really it is best to do this at first in water. It stimulates the senses and protects you physically."

She stood in his intense gaze like a deer in headlights. He unbuttoned her top and slid it off her shoulders still gazing into her eyes. Then he pushed her trousers over her hips, they fell to the floor.

Still maintaining eye contact, the Doctor undressed quickly. He pulled Rose to him and kissed her. Hot human skin against cool Time Lord skin made them both gasp.

He pulled Rose into the shower and turned it on. Water jetted down on them. He joined his lips to hers holding her face in his palms.

"You just have to open your mind," he whispered again, "there are no secrets. There is nothing to hide." She nodded and he pulled her to him pressing their bodies as closely as were physically possible.

Rose was aware of his excitement pressing against her. He moved his hands up her face to her temples and she sucked in a breath.

She felt like she was floating. Instinctively she reached up and placed the palms of her hands on his temples.

It was like they were flying high in the sky through the clouds. She was seeing through his eyes and feeling all he was feeling. Her whole body felt as if it were glowing.

His lips touched hers and she kissed him back. Then they were falling, only to swoop back up again. She felt a strong, primitive desire to push him down and straddle him and then it was pushed away. She smelt apple grass. Her body pulsed as her whole head burst inside like a million tiny fireworks.

They were travelling through the air, their bodies throbbing.

She saw a golden light and felt the urge to run with it, she pulled against him and he pulled her back. They soared upwards faster and faster as if in the Vortex itself. Higher and higher through time and space.

They found themselves gliding over a beautiful land where the mountains shone in a burnt orange sky which cast an amber light over the silver leafed trees and the deep red grass.

Then it was gone as they shot up further still. She felt their bodies merge as one being. She called out as her body shuddered and melted. Then they paused in mid air, every nerve in their bodies pulsating.

Down, down, down they plummeted so the wind streaked past them, the ground below them drawing ever closer until they landed into it plunging in as if diving into water, which indeed it was. Rose remained still, cocooned in the water feeling every single cell in her body relax. She had never felt such blissful peace.

She woke up in bed some hours later in his arms. He smiled at her.

"You're mine now, Rose Tyler."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _How wonderful life is now you're in the world... Elton John_

They lay in each others arms, words hardly needed to be said. Finally Rose asked about all the stuff in his pockets.

"Oh, I packed a few things I thought I might be needing. You know trans-dimensional engineering, Time Lord science, bigger on the inside? That blue suit doesn't take as much as the brown, not really designed for travel but I got in as much as I could."

"What is it with that blue suit?"

"Oh, I took to wearing it after I lost you...It's the Gallifreyan colour of mourning. I wore it a lot, not all the time. My theory is that I wore it whenever we weren't in the same universe. It was like you died for me."

"Me too...it's the same colour as the TARDIS."

"Yes, I think there was some coincidence in that, but on some level I think she might have deliberately broken her chameleon circuit on purpose to mourn Gallifrey."

Rose nodded thoughtfully, linking her fingers in and out of his.

"How does that work then, regarding your pockets, the trans-dimensional thingy? It's material."

"You know Hermione's beaded purse in The Deathly Hallows?"

"The what and the what?" Rose looked at him perplexed.

"Harry Potter...book seven?" Rose shook her head.

"We don't get Harry Potter here." The Doctor jumped out of bed and grabbed his jacket fishing about in one of the pockets at arms length. Finally he pulled out a complete box set of all seven Harry Potter books.

"Now we do!" Triumphant.

"What else have you got in there?" she asked, realising he was naked.

"Plenty, you'll see," he grinned getting back into bed nudging up to her.

"Doctor?"

"Yes, Rose?" he said, nuzzling in to her hair.

"What are our plans?"

"Weeelll... I want to get a look at Torchwood, sort out that Cannon, see what else is there that we might be able to salvage. We'll need to get a car of some sort and then we'll hit the road."

"Where will we go?"

"I think we'll head North for a start, hows that sound? Oh yes, we'd better get married before we go."

"What?" Rose sat up, giving the Doctor a face full of left breast which wasn't lost on him at all.

"Married, you and me... I think we should."

"Just like that?"

"Yep!" He popped the p. "Rose, so far as I'm concerned we are more than married. It's just it'll shut your mother up and we can bugger off on the pretence of a honeymoon."

"So romantic, Doctor."

"Weeell... I aim to please!" he grinned.

"So, what will I be called, Mrs Doctor?"

"No, you're Rose. As for my name, that's hidden in the stars and up here." He tapped her temple.

"But if we get married we'll have to use a name!" He was kissing her neck.

"Ah, you've got me there." He didn't appear to be listening completely.

"John Smith?" He stopped kissing her neck and paused.

"I might have to have a long chat with you about that some time, Rose." He scratched his head.

"All I know is, mate, if you're gonna marry me, you need a name."

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and kiss me!"

"Doctor, we cannot go up the aisle and have some vicar say "Do you The Doctor take Rose to be your lawful wedded wife?" can we?"

"No, no just Doctor, we wouldn't have to use the the."

"You're serious!"

"Just a small thing, you know, wear something nice, bit of food and hey ho! Off we go!"

Rose looked at him thoughtfully. She was too happy to argue and she knew of old that he wouldn't back down on his name. She sort of admired him for that. As far as she was concerned the bonding ceremony was what mattered and a wedding would be to appease her mother and, she suspected, her father too.

"Rose..." The Doctor whispered in her ear.

"I suppose if it were a small ceremony, then no one would care about the name."

"Rose," he murmured kissing her neck.

"And we could go travelling then... see a bit of the world... maybe bump into a bit of bother."

"Rose." She felt a cool hand on her bare stomach.

"And as for that, Doctor, I think it can wait until after the wedding, savour the moment and all that!" With that she got out of bed ignoring his hungry eyes searching her naked body and headed for the bathroom.

She smiled as she heard his exasperated groan.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A whole life so lonely and then you come and ease the pain...The Bangles_

After spraying cold water on her face and neck, Rose put on her bathrobe, took a deep breath and went back into the bedroom.

She nearly fell to the floor when she saw what was standing in front of her.

The Doctor stood in the window hands in brown pinstriped pockets. He wore his beige Converses and black tortoise shell glasses. He looked round and smiled at her putting out a hand.

"You got your other suit!" she gasped.

"Oh, yes the TARDIS gave me a few things to take with me before we left."

"So, what was he wearing?"

"A new one, his own one. He'll have his own blue one by now as well."

"What else did you bring?" she asked her eyes fixing on his long brown coat on the bed. She sat down stroking it.

"You brought your coat."

"Course I did! I love that coat, Janice Joplin gave it to me! Couldn't go without that! Might need it." Rose started to laugh, tears pouring down her face.

"Are you happy, sad or hysterical?" he asked bemused.

"I don't know!" she hiccuped. He licked her face.

"Happy, definitely happy!" he said tasting his tongue.

"I'm going to get dressed," she said finally composing herself, "I'm starving." The Doctor swivelled his tongue in his mouth.

"Hungry, not starving, I'd say."

"Doctor, I'll meet you downstairs." She looked at him pointedly.

"Oh, don`t you want me to wait?" He didn't relish the idea of finding the rest of the Tylers without back up.

"No, I want to get dressed!"

"Rose, you're not being coy with me are you? Not after..."

"No, Doctor, I just want to get dressed, okay?" She started to undo her dressing gown her eyes challenging him. He put his hands up.

"Alright, alright, I'll see you downstairs then, Mrs Doctor." He kissed her quickly on the lips; his tongue darting in her mouth briefly. Then he left the room.

The Doctor wandered into the kitchen into what he would describe as a very domestic scene. Pete sat in his suit reading a broadsheet while Jackie was trying to feed sludge to little Tony.

"Open wide, come on, here comes the train! Oh, good mornin' Doctor, cuppa tea?"

"I'll get it, Jackie... you... you carry on with... that." A spray of porridge hit Jackie in the face and Tony laughed clapping his hands; spraying more in doing so.

"Tony Tyler! You little menace!" she spluttered fishing out a wet wipe and mopping herself up.

"Good morning, Doctor," said Pete pulling back his paper with a friendly smile.

"Morning," he replied, slightly caged. He sat down and poured himself some tea.

"So, Jackie tells me you're a changed man. Perhaps a medical might be the next step?"

"No, I'm fine, it's fine."

"But surely..." But the Doctor interrupted him.

"I know you mean well, Pete, but really, been looking after myself for a long, long time. I really don't need to start now..."

"Start what?" said Rose from the doorway. Her hair was scraped up into a bun revealing her long naked neck. She was wearing a well cut, tight fitting suit. The skirt was short, just covering her thighs and the jacket was waist length and hugged her in all the right places. It looked like all she had on underneath the jacket was a black bra. This was all tailed off with black tights and knee length black zip up boots with a slight heel. 

The Doctor nearly dropped his tea in his lap.

"Morning, Rose. I was just saying it might be prudent for the Doctor to have a check-up given the changes that have taken place." Rose glared at her mum.

"Doctor's fine, Dad, don't fuss, he can take care of himself." Pete opened his mouth and then shut it again. 

"You going somewhere, Rose?" said Jackie absent-mindedly spooning porridge into her reluctant son.

"Yeah, thought we'd pop into work, show the Doctor around, if that's okay?" She addressed the last bit to her dad.

"Yes, that's fine, I'd like that," he replied thoughtfully.

"Oh, and Mum..."

"What darling?"

"We're getting married." Jackie's head shot up.

"You what? Married? Isn't that a bit... I mean... Oh, Rose, congratulations, are you sure?" 

The Doctor grinned. Only Jackie Tyler could say so much in fifteen words that didn't even make sense. She swooped down on him before he had the chance to brace himself and planted a big wet kiss on his lips.

"Knew you'd make an honest woman of her eventually!"

The Doctor said very little as the domestic scene unfolded in front of him. He was reminded of his first Christmas in this regeneration. His first Christmas with Rose.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You're part of my entity, here for infinity, when the war has took its part, when the world has dealt its cards... Rihanna_

Rose drove them into town in her four by four. The Doctor looked at her long and hard.

"What's with the... er... get up?" he asked her eventually.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked innocently. He glanced down at the expanse of black nylon thigh and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Rose hid a smirk.

"The outfit... not very... Rose?" he questioned again.

"Doctor, I don't know what you mean!" She smiled, her tongue poking onto her teeth. He leaned back and surveyed her, a grin forming and then spreading across his face.

"You look... fantastic!" he said eventually.

They walked through the foyer of Canary Wharf aware of people stopping to stare.

"You're reputation precedes you, Doctor," Rose smiled.

"You couldn't possibly think it might be for you, Rose. The last time you were here you were off to save the Universe!" She took his hand and they headed for the lift.

The lift was empty and as soon as they were moving the Doctor got out his Sonic Screwdriver and stopped it mid floor.

"What on Earth?" said Rose in surprise.

"I seem to have a thing about lifts," he said taking her in his arms. "I just needed to tell you how amazing you are. You look so sexy, Rose, its very disconcerting!"

"Doctor, are you making a pass at me?" Rose smiled.

"What if I am?" Rose felt her stomach flip.

"Then I think I chose the right outfit today!" He kissed her pushing her up against the wall. Her arms snaked up round his neck. He pulled his head back lazily tracing his tongue across his lips.

"This is going to be worth the wait." Rose looked at him her eyes as big as saucers.

"You'd better believe it," she whispered.

They heard a voice shout down the lift shaft.

"Is anyone down there?"

"It's okay! We're fine!" Rose shouted back, staring at the Doctor her eyebrow raised. He smiled and got the lift started.

"Rose!" A group of people rushed to them as they emerged into a vaguely familiar office. 

"You did it!" said a little blonde woman hugging her. There were about ten people in the group and the Doctor held back listening to everyone greeting and congratulating Rose on the success of her mission.

As the noise died down people began to look expectantly towards the Doctor. Rose turned and grabbed his arm.

"This is the Doctor."

"What, your Doctor?" It was the little blonde again, Rose nodded smiling. A man pushed himself forward hand outstretched,

"I'm so pleased to meet you, Mickey told me all about you, the names Guy."

Again and again the Doctor shook hands and was introduced taking in names, answering questions. Rose seemed very at home here, he liked that; seeing how respected she was and quite obviously highly ranked amongst them.

"We've come to inspect the Cannon." He heard Rose say.

"No ones allowed, Rose, strictly off limits. Pete's orders. No one's been allowed since you left."

"Well, now I'm back."

"No, Rose, he said everyone." Rose and the Doctor both pulled out psychic paper at the same time.

"We have authorisation!" They grinned at each other.

At the bottom of the corridor they entered that all too familiar room that had haunted them. The big white expanse spanning the whole of the back wall. The Doctor walked up to it and touched it smoothing his hand across it. Rose stood and watched him.

"Five and a half hours, I waited," she said after a long while. "That's what you told me, always wait five and a half hours. I did, I leant against it, waiting."

"It was longer, I know, I was there. I felt you, you felt me too."

The Dimension Cannon stood in the centre of the room. The Doctor walked towards it. He put on his glasses and got out his Sonic Screwdriver.

"Rose, where did you get psychic paper from?" he asked as he set to work dismantling it.

"It was yours, I had it on me that day. It was in my pocket. It was the only thing I had left."

The Doctor began to lay pieces from the Cannon into a pile. He looked up and tossed another Sonic Screwdriver at her.

"You could start on the other side, anything that looks useful give to me."

As they worked they talked a great deal about the day of their separation and Rose tried to explain about the Dimension Cannon, which wasn't really needed because it didn't take the Doctor very long to figure out exactly how it worked.

"Might be able to use this," he muttered every now and then slipping a piece into his pocket.

Just as it was starting to look like a junk heap the door rattled.

"Rose!" Doctor!" It was Pete's voice. They looked at each other and smiled.

They both stood up and pointed their screwdrivers at the wreckage that was once the Dimension Cannon. As Pete and a band of his men barged through the door there was a mini explosion. They had blown up the remains of the Cannon.

"What the hell?" said Pete furiously.

"Sorry, Pete, it had to go. It was a dangerous piece of equipment and should never have been used."

"What gives you the right to decide that? Who the Hell do you think you are?" He squared up to the Doctor. The Doctor stood his ground.

"You know who I am !" Rose stood between them.

"He's right, Dad, you know he is!"

"That doesn't give him the right to..." But he was interrupted by the blonde woman whose name was Janet.

"It's Jake, sir, he's just called in. There`s trouble up East, it's Code Green and Torchwood have been alerted."


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Keeps me running, running scared... David Bowie_

Suddenly everything seemed to be going very fast. The Doctor got sucked in amongst a sea of adrenalin. All around him they were getting armed and briefed. Including Rose, who was actively taking part in the team, instructing and allocating.

The Doctor refused a gun and bullet proof vest. Rose looked at him sharply.

"Doctor?" she said approaching him, but he pulled back.

"No, Rose this isn't the way I... we work!" He looked at her uncertainly.

"It's a Code Green, Doctor, that means its definitely alien, definitely more than one and there are definitely fatalities. More people are in danger, how would you suggest we work this one?" 

The Doctor took a good look at Rose, her skin was slightly flushed, her pulse beating a bit faster and her pupils had dilated.

"Fine," he said quietly, " just don't expect me to carry a gun!" Rose met his eyes and held them for a moment, then she nodded ever so slightly.

"The Doctor's with me!" she announced.

Silently, they sat in the Torchwood armoured truck listening to the radio. It was Jakes familiar voice they could hear.

"Hostage situation, men down, fatalities, Torchwood, one dead, civilian, three so far, injured numerous, need back up." His voice was very low which led the Doctor to conclude that he was undiscovered as of yet.

Rose sat by him, her thigh pressing next to his, every now and then she glanced sideways at him uncertainly. She was just about to say something when they stopped.

In the street the Doctor counted ten members of Torchwood but he could still hear himself breathing. Pete was silently instructing his team to surround a building at strategic points.

Rose took the Doctor's hand and flicked her head towards a small street. He followed her to a side entrance. He tried to pull her back but she nudged at the door which opened easily and she went in ahead of him.

Immediately, and with little noise, a great grey arm swooped down and wrapped itself around her whisking her off the ground and pulling her into the darkness of the building. The Doctor managed to duck and dive undetected into the shadows near the entrance inside.

Gradually, he made his way through the shadows towards the light at the centre of the club. Why, oh why, hadn't he instigated his first rule of always heading up front to face the danger ahead? 

The carnage that met him as he reached the main room of the building filled him with horror and dread. Syrphidea! Oh dear God, Syrphidea!

Their great grey hulking bodies, lounging on chairs facing the stage; seemed so big that one would have wondered how they would bear the weight. Their wings stretched high above them, vibrating ever so slightly. The appearance was humanoid, save the four arms and the wings. Their faces were round with huge eyes spreading right across their faces. They had no hair nor ears, just a pair of antennae moving around above as if they had a life of their own.

Five of them at the table, he counted and one, he assumed Rose`s captor, approaching it. His eyes travelled down to the appendage hanging between it`s legs. It was covered in blood. The Doctor resisted the urge to vomit.

All around bodies were strewn, most of them half naked, some of them unconscious, some of them not. All of them were covered in blood and one poor girl had had her head ripped off.

As he took it all in one of the girls that was dancing in front of the beasts was tossed into the air like a rag doll and as she fell the Syrphidea who had thrown her caught her easily, impaling her and sinking himself deeply into her. Her screaming and his comrades roar only encouraged him to continue ravaging relentlessly until he had finished. She was tossed to the floor, blood leaking from her.

The Doctor scanned the room looking for Rose. There were a group of men held captive in the corner. Some were screaming and crying, while others had simply given up and turned their backs.

His attention was suddenly drawn to the stage as shouts from the table heightened and the music changed. Rose was pushed out on to the stage. She looked alright, her nose was bleeding and her jacket had been ripped off her, but, other than that she was okay.

Relief and panic swept through him as he desperately tried to connect with her. Then she looked right in his direction and nodded slightly. He willed her to cooperate, buying time.

Rose moved to the pole at the centre of the stage and pulled her self onto it easily. She then began to move and climb around it undulating to the music, swinging her body round to the delight of her audience.

The Doctor held his breath watching his beautiful Rose, trying to work out what to do next.

Rose worked her way up the pole higher and higher, spinning around and then up again. Then everything happened all at once.

As Torchwood stormed the building, one of the Syrphidea launched himself towards her air-bourne and the Doctor lurched forward Sonic Screwdriver at the ready.

Rose pulled herself out horizontally in mid spin and, as the flying giant gnat reached her; she span round fast, both feet making contact with his head at full throttle. He fell to the floor unconscious.

Meanwhile the Doctor had rushed at the five others. His Sonic Screwdriver blast out connecting and joining their antennae in one beam rendering them incapable of action.

A blast shot out ripping one of them apart, the body slumped to the floor.

"Hold your fire!" the Doctor roared spit flying from his mouth.

As they moved to contain the prisoners the Doctor looked at Rose. She met his gaze as she reached in to her boot and got her phone. She flicked it up and made the call. Ambulances were needed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I've been to ancient worlds, I've scoured the whole universe and caught the first train home. To be at her side, no matter where I roam I will return to my English Rose...The Jam_

The Doctor was on his knees trying to resuscitate a girl who was covered in blood, half naked and would probably not want to live any more if she did regain conciousness.

Many people were milling about. Girls on stretchers, some covered, some not, were being carried out to waiting ambulances. The offending five Syrphidea were bound up. The one that Rose had knocked out was now concious.

Pete walked over to the Doctor and tapped him on the back.

"God-dammit! What?" he yelled his anger balling up inside him.

"Doctor, could you possibly..?"

"I am a doctor, don't you think I might be needed here to save lives, not act as a bloody interpreter?" he snapped.

"Doctor, she's gone," said the woman who had been trying to help him.

He got up, fists clenched, and marched over to the Syrphidea and spoke in an overly controlled voice, his anger rising in bubbles up through his body.

Rose could see the rage inside him from across the room, she knew instinctively that the storm must be calmed. But other people needed help. The Doctor would have to deal with it on his own. She smiled down at the frightened face looking up at her, clutching on to her.

The Syrphidea leader looked alarmed at his use of their language. There was something wrong about this man, something not human. He could feel it emanating from him, he didn't recognise it.

Gradually he told this strange man who wasn't a man their story. He begged forgiveness in not understanding the customs of the human race. The Doctor was unrelenting, his anger nearly at the surface, but not quite.

Pete was by his side listening to the exchange in awe. The Doctor turned to him.

"Have you any dealings with The Shadow Proclamation in this Universe?" he asked.

"They made contact after your first visit. I have... ways of contacting them."

"Right, then that is how you deal with this scum!" He swore at them in their own language. "Pete, it would be advisable that you don't mention me. I have no dealings with this Shadow Proclamation and until I know what I'm up against I would rather they didn't know of my existence. How many dead?"

"One of our men, five girls and a couple of the customers. Four more in critical." Pete shook his head.

"Eight dead! Plus one of their own."

"Doctor, what were they doing?"

"They were on a stag weekend that got out of hand! Huh! Out of hand! They feed off blood. The alcohol and the sexuality of the place got them confused." He swore again. "Make your call, Pete, I have to get out of here." 

Pete nodded and the Doctor went and found Rose. Silently he took her hand and they left the club on foot.

They walked through the streets of London not talking, just thinking. Finally the Doctor stopped, turned and took her in his arms. They stood like that for a long time just feeling their pure sense of being.

"You could have died," he said into her hair.

"I didn't," she whispered into his chest.

"What training have you had that tells you to walk into an unchecked building, particularly when you knew there were already deaths?"

"I know, I think I was trying to prove something to you." She hung her head.

"What? You don't need to prove anything to me, Rose. We're a team and we have to work as one or else one of us will die." Rose said nothing.

"Great moves though," the Doctor smiled weakly, "when did you learn to pole dance?" Rose looked up sensing the calm.

"I've been doing a lot of working out. Keeping myself fit. Dimension hopping is physically demanding. Pete got me a personal trainer, that was part of the training."

"How will Torchwood clear up that mess?"

"Doctor, Torchwood didn't make that mess." Rose pulled back from him.

"No, I know, I just don't like the military approach. How will they deal with it?"

"Obviously the dead people's families will be informed and compensated. I would imagine all the rest will be Retconned as soon as they are physically fit."

"Retconned! That's the solution?" He was disgusted.

"Doctor, I don't approve, but if someone's got so much information in their brain that makes them unable to cope, enough that could kill them, and there is a solution; if it saves their lives, then I don't think it's an option." 

The Doctor brushed some lose strands of hair out of her face and pushed it behind her ears. She shivered and the Doctor realised she was standing there in her bra, her tights were ripped and she had dry blood caked around her nose. He took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

"Rose, I need to talk to you about Donna..."


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _There are places I remember all my life, though some have changed... The Beatles_

They were sitting in a cafe, mugs of tea and a plate of chips in front of them.

Rose had stopped crying and the Doctor had stopped looking uncomfortable, well she was crying about him.

"He'll be fine on his own, it won't be for long, fate has a funny way of intervening, however he's feeling..."

"Tell me," she sniffed.

"I will, but right now I don't want to remember time without you. I'd rather remember time with you." He picked up a chip and grinned.

"Our first date," she smiled weakly. He fed her the chip.

"Remember the Gelth?" she said chewing on it.

"Oh, I think I might have misjudged a bit that time!"

"You think?" she laughed.

"You were fantastic that day, Rose."

"You sound so like him sometimes." Her face had lit up. Chips and memories.

"I am him!" Okay, let's play the game.

"Don't start that again!" she giggled.

"You looked so beautiful in that dress." He stared into space thinking about the first time she took his breath away, the first of many.

"Considering." They both laughed.

"I meant what I said, I'm so glad I met you."

"Really? You don't just wish sometimes you had wiped my memory?"

"Don't joke about it, Rose. She would have died." The pain filtered across his face.

"What about my first Dalek? You shut me in with it! Should have took the hint then..." She sighed mockingly

"If you knew what I went through then... it took a Dalek to tell me." His face was so serious.

"I know, but why didn't you tell me?" She was getting bold.

"Weeell, there was Adam and Jack and Mickey..." He was fishing about.

"And you always came before any of them, Doctor... I was prepared to follow you to the ends of the Universe... no, hang on, I did!" He smiled. "Anyway, as I recall, you had your fair share of flirtations!" She thought for a bit.

"Doctor, what did happened to Jack? I thought he was dead."

"He was..." The Doctor looked at her thoughtfully, "do you remember Bad Wolf?"

"Well, I know it's a message that I somehow left myself through time and space to lead myself back to you. I know that when I broke the TARDIS open I took in the Vortex and that triggered it, but everything's so vague. I dream about it sometimes, but I can never quite grasp it."

"Rose, when you took in the Vortex you became Bad Wolf. This enabled you to go back to me, to destroy the Daleks and in amongst it all you chose to resurrect Jack. He became fixed at that time. He is immortal." Rose gasped.

"But you..." She was remembering.

"If you had remained like that you would have burnt up." He shook his head.

"Like Donna?" she asked.

"No, different...the Vortex had to be absorbed and put back so I..."

"What did you do, Doctor?" She grasped his hand, knowing exactly what he did.

"I took it from you and returned it." He lowered his gaze.

"You used up one of your lives on me!" She sank back in her seat.

"Rose, I'd do it again!"

"Daft Northern bugger!" she joked, but her eyes were wet with fresh moisture. "This Bad Wolf, I don't think it's ever left me. All my time with you before and after, people always say things like "you've got a hint of the wolf about you." I see it in my dreams, it's always there."

"Do you remember last night?" Rose flushed.

"How couldn't I?" she stammered.

"When we were bonding, you found the wolf..." He gazed into her eyes.

"Yes, you pulled me away." Her eyes took on that faraway look, but not for long.

"We need to explore it."

"What, do it again?" A little eagerly. He laughed.

"Rose, you know we'll be "doing it" lots. You don't have to ask. But I need to tap us into Bad Wolf and see if what I think is right."

"What do you think?"

"Let's just find out first and take it from there. It's getting late we ought to head back." She noticed he didn't say home.

They caught a taxi back to Torchwood and returned to the Tyler mansion in Rose's car. The Doctor drove and it felt good even if it was just a car, he liked being in control of the transport.

When they pulled up at the mansion it was getting dark and Pete and Jackie met them anxiously at the door. Tony had gone to bed. Pete ushered the Doctor into his office. He really didn't feel up to one of Pete's chats, but he was too tired to put up a fight, so he followed him.

"I want to apologise for my outburst last night. I don't know what came over me. You see, you're a tough act to follow. Three and a half years and even my wife always put you first, let alone my new found daughter!"

"You accused me of not keeping Rose safe... have you any idea..."

"Yes, I have every idea! I just got it into my head that you were dangerous."

"I can be," the Doctor said evenly.

"It isn't up to me, what you and Rose decide. But, if there is anything you need, anything I can help you with..."

"Thank you, but we don't need help. We can manage fine on our own."

"I thought you'd say that," Pete accepted.

"How did it go with the Proclamation?" The Doctor changed the subject.

"The Judoons took them away. Lots of questions were asked. Lets just say suspicions were, are aroused. There had been a mini galactic search going on looking for them. They were supposed to have been at the wedding yesterday."

"They were only away for the weekend." The Doctor shook his head, if they had left when they were supposed, to no one would have died.

"We learnt a lot today... we'd like to learn more." The Doctor shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Pete, Torchwood and me, we don't mix... I can be on hand for advice, but you can't expect me to change."

"So, you do have plans ?" It wasn't really a question.

"I have plans, but I'm not sure how they're going to work out. I have to follow a few things up first." Pete nodded, knowing better than to press the Doctor further.

"Jackie's cooked us some supper," he said changing the subject.

"Ah," said the Doctor, "and once again humanity takes a risk!" Pete laughed and they left his office on much better terms.

When they got back to the kitchen the Doctor was struck with how tired Rose looked and, as they finished their meal; she actually looked like she was dropping off. The Doctor touched her hand and she jumped back into conciousness.

"I think you need some sleep," he whispered. He stood up and pulled her to her feet. He thanked Jackie and as she could see how exhausted Rose looked, she made no complaint when he picked her up and carried her out of the room and up to bed like a small child.

He put her down on the bed, covered her and lay beside her. Her eyelids flickered open. Gently, her eyebrow lifted. He smiled.

"Plenty of time for that when you're rested. Besides you're going to need your senses alert for it." He kissed her and she drifted off to sleep.

He lay awake looking at the ceiling, his thoughts keeping him awake.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try, I can't get no, I can't get no... Rolling Stones_

She woke up the next morning in her knickers, she couldn't remember undressing. The Doctor was dozing beside her in his shirt and trousers.

She took some time to admire his sleeping face and then she bent low and kissed him gently on the lips. 

His eyes fluttered open and he gave her a lazy smile.

"You humans waste so much time sleeping," he yawned.

"What were you doing then, Mister?" she said tickling him. He yelped and tickled her back, but soon stopped still as her breasts rather got in the way.

She looked him in the eye, her breath held, he moved towards her.

"Rose?" There was a knock at the door.

"Hang on!" She shouted back. The Doctor jumped off the bed and Rose dived under the covers.

He opened the door. Jackie eyed him suspiciously, but said nothing.

"Good morning , sweetheart," she said. She had bought up two cups of tea, so she obviously knew where he was spending his nights.

"I just needed to remind you about the Vitex do. I thought we might go shopping for something nice to wear... if you can drag yourself away."

"Vitex do?" said Rose.

"Annual Presentations?" said Jackie exasperated.

"Oh, yes."

"I thought we could announce your engagement there."

"Mum, we really don't want any fuss..." 

"That's fine, Jackie," the Doctor interrupted, "we'd like that."

"It's black tie." Jackie sniffed.

"I've got that covered, I won't be coming with you this morning." Jackie smiled, the prospect of some time alone with Rose brightening her up.

"You don't have to, you know," she said when Jackie had gone.

"Don't have to what?" He looked surprised.

"You don't have to go through all this domesticity just for my mum."

"Rose, I want to," he said softly.

"What?" she laughed.

"I want to follow your traditions. I thought you wanted to as well."

"I do, but I feel totally commited to you... I'm not religious... I've never dreamed of a big fluffy wedding... or of wearing a meringue!"

"Well, so far as I'm concerned, two species merging need to be blessed on both sides. If I could, I'd take you around the Universe getting married on every planet, just to make sure."

"You wouldn't?" she laughed.

"Weeell, it would get incredibly boring..." he smiled.

"Yeah, much better to seek out some trouble and do plenty of running!" They both laughed.

"I'd better have a shower," she said after a long pause. He nodded, staring at her hungrily.

"What?" she laughed, just a bit too breathlessly.

"Tempting..." he said, "but I want more time than you have right now." Rose flushed bright red, but managed to contain herself enough to reply.

"I don't know, Doctor, the way it's building up. I think it'll be over just like that!" She clicked her fingers and he grabbed his forehead in jest. She laughed and went to the bathroom in just her knickers without looking back.

The Doctor stared at the door for some moments. Then he picked up his tea and took a large swig. He shook his head and sighed. Then he laughed as the strains of "Satisfaction", sung very loudly and very badly came from the bathroom.

Rose and Jackie left for town, Tony was out with the nanny and Pete was at work. The Doctor had the whole house to himself.

He went into the room that was supposed to be his and started to sift through the stuff that was accumulating in there. He knew he should sort it out, but, he was so used to the TARDIS doing everything for him, he was finding this part of it hard.

Every time he dug through his pockets he found more interesting stuff. There had been plenty in the blue suit, but once he had started on the brown and his coat he wasn't sure where to keep it. He should have just put it away in his pockets but he needed to be able to find it, didn't he?

He looked at the black tuxedo that he had managed to hang up and knew that there would be more in those pockets. But this wasn't what he was looking for.

On the bed he had left the blue jacket, it was this he picked up and dug his hand into. He pulled out a yellow rock and stroked it. A tear fell on to it. The rock hummed to him, just a small noise but it pacified him immediately. 

He popped the piece of coral in his pocket and left the cluttered room, securing the door with his Sonic Screwdriver when he left.

Downstairs he fired up the computer and plugged his Sonic into the port. The screen flickered and rolled. It rolled again for a few minutes until it settled on a familiar blue screen. The Doctor pushed his glasses farther up his nose and set to work.

**********

"But, Rose what are you going to do?" Jackie said for the umpteenth time. Rose was trying on yet another dress and was fed up, this was one of those times when she missed the TARDIS. It would have made the choice for her.

Jackie, who had already made her choice, was sat outside the changing rooms waiting.

Rose came through the curtain in her jeans.

"No good?" asked Jackie, glancing at the dress hung over Rose's arm.

"No, it`s fine. I'll have this one please," she said to the shop assistant who was hovering nearby.

"You could've showed me." said Jackie, a little bit put out.

"We've got to get our hair done yet, haven't we?" said Rose, she didn't want Jackie telling her that the dress was just a bit too provocative, that was the idea.

Jackie stopped her.

"We've got time and, well, they've got a lovely bridal department here..." Rose's heart sank.

"You know we aren't going to have a huge wedding? I only want close family. All the doctors friends are on the old Universe, he only has us. We follow no religion and I've never wanted all that fuss. I just want a simple ceremony with you and Dad and Tony." Jackie looked at her for a long moment.

"Rose, four days ago I was resigned to the fact that I was never going to see you again. You were going to be as good as dead to me. Dont you understand? I'm getting to be part of your wedding, part of your life. That is what your Doctor is doing for me. By letting us do this he is promising me that we are a family and he will always bring you back. When he told me to find something with you today, well I couldn't not..." She stopped, looking shifty.

Rose absorbed what Jackie had said, a glint of moisture in her eye.

"What's he up to?" she asked her after a while.

"He talked to me this morning when you were getting ready, said you weren't being very cooperative and he had decided to take matters into his own hands. He also said that if you don't buy a bloody dress then he'll have to get one for you and do you want to risk that?"

"Right, fine! Wedding dress it is then. Bring on the meringues!"

Three hours later, loaded with bags, they walked out of Jackie's favourite salon with their hair beautifully coiffed. Jackie's phone rang so she put down her bags and answered it.

"Pete, what do you want? Yes... why, what's happened? Okay, we'll be right over..." She hung up and looked at Rose.

"What?" said Rose.

"The Doctor needs you in Torchwood med-bay right now!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I scare myself to death, that's why I keep on running. Before I've arrived I can see myself coming... Robbie Williams_

She ran at full tilt through the foyer scattering people in her wake. When she got to the lifts she pressed all the buttons.

"Come on! Come on!" she muttered impatiently, then gave up and took to the stairs running up them two, three at a time.

Up and up she ran, ascending the stairwell at breakneck speed, until she reached the floor she was after and crashed through the doors racing up the corridor to the medical bay door.

She stopped briefly, took a deep breath, pushed the handle down and opened it.

The Doctor stood at some piece of medical equipment fiddling at it with with his Sonic Screwdriver. He looked up and smiled when she walked in.

"What?" she panted.

"Rose, you got the message, good." he said coming towards her.

"What?" she shouted at him.

"Whatever's the matter?" he stopped in his tracks, alarmed.

"What the hell are you doing here? I got a message saying I was urgently needed here... I thought..." The Doctor laughed.

"Chinese whispers," he said wrapping his arms around her. She struggled free of them.'

"Why the bloody hell didn't you ring me yourself?" She was fuming.

"Calm down, Rose. I misplaced my phone and Pete was ringing Jackie anyway. I may have said hurry... I'm not comfortable here." Rose sat down and took a few deep breaths.

"What are you doing here, then?" she asked him again, her voice evening out.

"I need to examine you," he answered leaning back over the piece of equipment again.

"You're not my doctor, Doctor," she said crisply. He looked up then, over the top of his glasses, making her stomach knot.

"Really? I was under the impression I was."

"Why do you need to examine me anyway," she asked, changing tack.

"Lots of reasons, I need to find out what the Dimension Cannon's done to you, among other things."

"Why? What difference does it make?"

"Rose, it's probably nothing to worry about. I just need to know. I need to run quite a few tests. Get your kit off."

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard," he smiled wickedly, chucking her a robe, "would you mind undressing for me?" Rose felt her knotted stomach rise up to her throat. His tongue escaped his mouth.

"Stop it!" she whispered, squirming in her seat.

"Rose," he said crouching down at her knees, "I really would like to know what`s going on inside you. Things aren't adding up. I have a few theories, but I need you to cooperate, please."

Rose took a deep breath, raising her shoulders and nodded as she lowered them. He cupped her face in his hands and smiled.

"Thank you," he said leaning in to kiss her but Rose stood up taking off her jacket and dropping it on the chair. "Rose?" he asked, unsure.

"You know, Doctor, for someone who claims they are going to be much more open and honest with me, you really are being very secretive. I know you're up to some things and you're hiding them from me."

"I have theories, Rose, I want to confirm them before we discuss them."

"Why? I think I've got the right to know, it's my body!" The Doctor looked at her, thinking very hard.

"Rose, when you took that overdose..." She stopped him there.

"I don't want to go there! You've been prying!" She was outraged

"You just said no secrets. When you took that overdose, why did you do it?"

"What? Why do you think? That's a stupid question!" she flustered.

"Seriously, this does concern me, what was your intent?" He was serious.

"I couldn't face life without you, I didn't want to live!" she shouted.

"You took enough tablets to put out an army, Rose. You really meant it."

"Yes, I really couldn't go on!" She was trying not to cry.

"But, you didn't die!"

"No, Mum found me in time, they pumped my stomach, it was luck." The Doctor shook his head and turned to the computer flicking up her records on the screen.

"They pumped your stomach, Rose, but they found nothing. Your blood stream had dealt with it, dissipated it before you even got in the ambulance. Questions were raised as to whether you had actually taken the tablets. Other tests proved that you had. You should have died."

"What are you saying?" she asked after a while.

"I'm saying that there's something unusual going on inside you. That Dimension Cannon, it broke down your whole cell structure and then rebuilt it, this happened ten times over. Once would have killed a normal human being."

"What are you saying, that I'm super powered like spider man when he gets bitten by the radio active spider?" she joked.

"Weeell... could actually be something like that, sort of." He ran his hands through his hair.

"Are you saying I'm like Jack? A fixed point? Immortal?" she whispered the last.

"No! Believe me I'd know if that were the case." He shivered slightly.

"I don't understand."

"Let me do these tests, then maybe we can see." She changed into the gown and sat up on the examination table. He pulled her sleeve and wrapped a cuff around her arm. As he pumped it up he looked into her face.

"You know, Rose Tyler, I do love you and I don't care what you are."

"Quite right too!" He kissed her.

"Your hair looks fantastic," he breathed.

"How's my blood pressure?" she quipped

"Oops!" He let the cuff down a bit, "a bit high."

"Really? I wonder why." Her tongue tipped her lip.

"Now then, I need to take some bloods... it won`t hurt, just a little prick..." Rose's eyebrows lifted to practically her hairline.

"Stop it!" he drawled, smiling.

"What else are you going to do to me today?" she asked innocently. The Doctor pursed his pouting lips in thought and then indicated the big M.R.I. scanner.

"Oh God, don't you have to lie in those dead still for hours?"

"Weeell... ordinarily yes, but I've... er... sonically modified it. It should tell me most of what I need to know in ten minutes." 

"Most of?" He didn't respond but set to work with filling six vials with her blood.

"Rose?" he asked absent mindedly. "How do you fancy getting married Saturday?"

"Just like that?" He nodded.

"I've been arranging it." She looked at him appraisingly.

"Do tell," she said amused.

"Well, I want to take you to Scotland." He looked at her furtively.

"You've mentioned that before." she answered evenly.

"I'm going to marry you in Scotland." She looked at the little tube filling with her blood.

"And you think you can sort somewhere by Saturday?" He looked at her again.

"I have," he said quietly.

"You what... how?" Now she was gobsmacked.

"Well, there's this place I know, someone... er... had a change of heart." He looked very shifty.

"And that wouldn't have anything to do with you?" He didn't answer. "Where is it, Gretna Green?"

"No, but the laws of civil marriage are different in Scotland. It means, with a little help of psychic paper, that we can get married on Saturday afternoon."

"How will we get there?" She was shocked now.

"We'll be taking the Tyler jet." He looked like the cat that ate the cream.

"Dad knows?"

"Oh yes! And your mum's going to be my best man!" He puffed out his chest proudly. Rose started to laugh.

"My Dad, who isn't really my dad, is giving me away to a man over fifteen times his age and his best man is my mother, who he has a very rocky relationship with!"

"Oh! I love your mum, she's brilliant!" Rose was laughing so much her sides ached.

"Lie down," he said suddenly

"Do what?" Her mouth went very dry.

"Lie down on there for me, I've got to push you under. You keep still for about ten minutes, no talk, okay?" Rose sighed and did as she was told.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear. This man said young bones groan and the rocks below say, "throw your skinny bones down, son."...The Smiths_

The dress she had chosen was made of Chinese silk. It was virtually flesh coloured, so gave her the appearance of being nude at first glance. It was cut on the bias and travelled down her body hitting every bump and curve.

It had thin spaghetti straps and it was low cut. With the use of some very clever tape, Rose had pushed her breasts up to form a magnificent cleavage without the use of a bra. Her nipples were clearly obvious jutting out through the thin material. 

As his eyes travelled down he could see the indentation of her bellybutton. She was evidently not wearing any knickers as there were no lines and he could see the slight bump where her pubic mound touched the silk.

Smiling, she turned around. The dress was so low cut to the back that she practically had another cleavage. Her pert buttocks moved below the material like a ripe peach.

It clung to her body to her knees and then flared out slightly, floating down to her feet. On these she wore a flat pair of strappy Greecian type sandals which gave one the impression that she was barefoot.

The Doctor stood open mouthed as she entered the room, he had torn feelings about this. On the one hand, he felt he should rush to her and cover her up hiding her from the rest of the world; on the other he was bursting with pride wanting to show off this beautiful creature to the world and show them she was his. There was a more primal feeling deep down that involved ripping it off and not going anywhere, all night but bed.

What the Doctor didn't know was that the effect that he was having on her in his tuxedo was pretty much the same.

"I think it might be a teensy weensy bit see-thru, Rose, I think I can see your nipples!" said Jackie.

The Doctor was speechless, which was unusual to say the least. She walked over to him smiling.

"You look beautiful... considering," she whispered which broke the ice. He laughed, bent down to her ear and whispered.

"When I make love to you, Rose Tyler, you're going to scream." He grinned widely at her as she felt all her juices heading south.

 

The venue was a very glitzy hotel and the paparazzi were out in force. Rose Tyler with a handsome man! Who was he? This was unheard of and instead of that sad little mouse she had transformed into every bit the glamorous heiress that she was. They were having a field day.

The Doctor was keeping his cool, taking it all in his stride, much to Roses's relief. For once the tabloids next morning might be worth the read.

"These do's, usually awful... but the food's good and there's dancing..." she finished this off with a wicked little smile.

"Who brought you before?" he asked as they past through reception.

"Oh, I didn't come to the first one, I was too ill, and then the others... Mickey..." The Doctor nodded. "He was like my best mate." The Doctor nodded again. "Like Jack was to you, someone who fancied you rotten, in love with you even, but we were never going to go down that path again."

"You don't need to explain yourself to anyone, least of all me."

"No, some things need saying and, despite Mickey and Jack, I haven't... well I haven't since the day you grabbed my hand and told me to run." He bent his head down to kiss her and then pulled up looking down into her face.

"I love you, Rose Tyler, will you marry me?" A barrage of flashlight exploded around them, somehow the press had got in. So much for no fuss. She smiled up at him.

"Yes, Doctor, I will."

 

As the evening wore on it became very apparent that Rose really was her mother's daughter. Her new found happiness was making her determined to make up for lost time and start enjoying life. She had somehow got into a champagne drinking competition with Jackie.

Jackie was at the singing along very loudly and dancing on the table stage and Rose was at the throw herself at the Doctor at every available opportunity and dance as suggestively as possible with him stage.

As she draped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, she slurred sweet everythings into his ears, nose, mouth, whatever. The Doctor took this in his stride and found it all quite amusing, particularly when Jackie toppled off the table and landed on Pete, breaking a chair in the process.

In the limo on the way home Jackie and Rose cuddled and sang an Elvis song quietly to each other. Pete shook his head and met the Doctor's eyes. He raised his eyes to the heavens and smiled.

When they got back to the manor Jackie had fallen asleep and Rose swayed dangerously in the hallway. Pete lifted her mother over his shoulder and carried her off to bed.

The Doctor grabbed Rose's arm, steadying her.

"'malright..." she slurred.

"Let's get you to bed," he said quietly.

"You makin' a promise?" she asked looking at him and he could tell her vision was blurred.

"Come on... bed!" he said laughing.

"Ooh, Doctor, I though you'd never ask!" They staggered up the stairs, Rose refusing any help trying to pretend she wasn't very drunk.

When they got to her room she swayed off to the bathroom. Somewhere in her subconscious she remembered that her boobs were taped up and didn't want him to see. There was an horrendous crash from the bathroom.

"Rose!" The Doctor ran to the door.

"'sfine, 'malright..." she said, as she plucked the maroon t shirt he had taken off on Saturday out of the laundry basket and slung it over her head.

She came through the door trying to look sexy and he suppressed a laugh as she waddled to the bed, collapsing onto it. "For Chrissake, Doctor, why doncha just hurry up an' shag me!" she drawled and then fell straight to sleep, snoring softly.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Maybe I didn't hold you all those lonely, lonely times and I guess I never told you I'm so happy that you're mine... Elvis Presley_

When she woke up the sun was pouring through the curtains. She sat up and stretched, yawning. She shook her head and looked around. She was alone. Getting out of bed she picked up her mobile phone and glanced at the time. It was only seven fifteen.

She got up and moved to the window pulling back the curtains. She loved the mansion gardens first thing in the morning, they were always so peaceful and unspoilt. This morning, though, she could clearly see footprints in the dew moving across the front lawn towards a wooded copse in the distance.

She craned her eyes, trying to see who had left them. She could see some movement in the trees and as her vision focused she could make out a long brown coat. Quick as lightening, she pulled on her jeans and left the room.

She ran silently across the grass. As she drew nearer she could see the Doctor moving in strange positions within the trees, it was apparent to her he was using the scanner on his Sonic Screwdriver.

She could hear him muttering to himself as she got closer. She stopped a few yards behind him holding her breath. He spoke after a while.

"I suppose it seems weird, me creeping around in the undergrowth?" he asked her without looking back. She would never get used to his acute Time Lord senses.

"Nah, used to it by now, you looking for something?" She moved in beside him.

"Weeell... just having a little... I didn't bother before because it's so young, but I got to thinking and I thought maybe it was worth just seeing if it's taking at all..." he trailed off, knowing he wasn't making sense.

"What, Doctor?" she said shaking her head bemused. He turned to her.

"You alright then, this morning, no hangover?" Rose shook her head.

"It must be my super hero blood!" she joked.

"You were rather drunk," he murmured, scanning a dense patch of undergrowth.

"I don't really remember, did I misbehave?" she asked innocently.

"Meh... your mother fell off a table and broke a chair, nearly broke Pete, but you... you were alright, a bit wanton maybe but that's quite endearing... it was the part about you telling me to get on and shag you before you passed out, that was the funniest!" Rose flushed.

"I'm sorry, I guess you can take the girl out of South London, but you can't take the South London out of the girl... I'm sorry to be so common." She hung her head. He looked sideways at her.

"Rose, I don't mind, I like it and I will, properly, when there are no interruptions and you're not exhausted or drunk." Rose could feel heat curling inside her. He stopped and looked at her surprised.

"You're insatiable," he said shaking his head. Then suddenly he stopped, put his hand to his lips and listened carefully. He pulled his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes. He looked at her.

"Rose, you'll have to stop breathing so fast, I'm trying to concentrate!" She bit her lip and held her breath.

"This way," he said after a while. He led her deeper into the wood and she started to think, hope, he might have an ulterior motive. Then he stopped, scanned and moved towards a clump of bushes. He knelt down and pushed into the bush. She crouched down beside him.

"Well, would you look at that!" he said delighted. In the middle of the densest part there was a little yellow twig. At first glance it looked like it was stuck in the ground lifeless, then Rose realised that it wasn't a twig at all, it looked more like a piece of rock. She touched it, no, not rock, a piece of coral.

"I... is that... are you?" she stammered her eyes rounding as his grin stretched across his face.

"That is the beginnings of a TARDIS." His face lit up.

"When did you plant this?" she asked finding her voice.

"Oh, when we first came here, you know Cybermen and all that, it's about four years growth, not bad really..." he stroked it happily.

"So, how long before it will be a full grown one?"

"Oh, a fully mature TARDIS takes about three hundred years but you can start their training at about a hundred years, give or take..." Rose stopped pulling back, doing the maths. She nodded sadly. For once his Time Lord senses picked up on her feelings.

"Oh no, no, no, no, Rose, don't ever think like that!"

"What? No, it's fine, it's quite obvious you would really have to plan wouldn't you? You'd have to do something when I'm gone..." He grabbed her forearms and looked into her face.

"Rose Marion Tyler... listen to me!" She stopped rambling and listened.

"Once, a long long time ago, I got stranded on a planet. I was on my own for a long time until luck intervened and a passing traveller managed to find me and helped me find my way back. I vowed then that I would try and cover myself if ever the TARDIS was lost to me. Everywhere I've gone since then, providing the landscape looks agreeable; I've planted a TARDIS seed. Way back in time, on many different planets; little TARDISes could be sprouting. Some won't have made it, either because the natural circumstances didn't work for it or because the residents of the places might have inadvertently destroyed them with building. What is interesting to me is that the seeds are compatible with this universe." Roses brain was working overtime.

"So, there could be..." she whispered.

"Oh yes!" he grinned.

"So, all we've gotta do is travel around this place searching for one."

"That will be hard in itself, once the Chameleon Circuits are up and running, but, could be an adventure in itself!" He was bouncing on his heels, his excitement quite obvious. Then he calmed a bit.

"Growing one is just the half of it. In order to get one going you need to hook on to a massive power source. I have energy crystals from our TARDIS, but this universe doesn't agree with that power supply. If I charged it using one of those we would never be able to fuel it from this universe. Even if we managed that we would then have to find a regular power source to refuel it." 

"But, Doctor, a TARDIS!" she smiled, the positive human streak taking over.

"It's complicated, not impossible," he smiled, hugging her and kissing the top of her head. She put her arms around him.

"It's gonna happen, Doctor, I can feel it."


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I don't need money, fortune or fame. I've got all the riches, baby, one man can claim... The Temptations_

Pete was looking out of his bedroom window. Across the lawn he could see Rose and the Doctor walking towards the house. As he watched they stopped and looked at each other obviously in deep conversation.

Suddenly they broke into a furious run. They were holding hands and he was slightly in front of her so it gave the impression he was pulling her along a bit. They ran really fast and he smiled as he saw how much they were laughing as they drew nearer the house.

They didn't stop but veered to the left and raced around the side of the house. He could hear their laughter as they passed underneath the window, their feet crunching on the gravel.

He turned into the room and looked at his sleeping wife. He smirked knowing how awful she was going to feel when she woke.

He thought about the Doctor. He had so much to thank him for. When he had first met them he had just divorced his wife. He remembered how unhappy he was, the man who had everything and nothing.

Jackie, his first Jackie had become bitter, they had never been able to conceive and it had dried her up inside.

Then came the Cybermen and the Doctor and Rose. Then came Canary Wharf.

This man had given Pete the wife he had fallen in love with back. Sometimes he thought about the other Jackie, what she would have been like if they had had a child.

He thought about Rose, his biological step-daughter. What a gift that had been. She seemed so like him, even had the same tastes and mannerisms as him, which exasperated Jackie and gave her joy at the same time.

He thought about Jackie, this Jackie, and he smiled, she was great. No nonsense and had made an excellent job of bringing up Rose without him, the other him, the chancer. He remembered the day that he changed from that man, the day he nearly died.

He thought about this woman giving him a son and how wonderful he felt when she told him. There were no bounds to the love he could feel.

He thought of how broken Rose had been when he bought her here. How she had nearly died. How destroyed that had made him feel. How much he realised he cared for her, instinctively.

This man, this Doctor, had made him the richest man beyond his wildest dreams. He would do everything in his power to help him achieve whatever he was aiming at, and he was definitely aiming at something.

Yesterday, when Jackie and Rose were shopping the Doctor had come to Torchwood asking questions about Rose. At first he was caged, not sure where he was going with it, but the more the Doctor probed and insisted the more he relented. He knew there was something unnatural about her and it puzzled and worried him. 

He let the Doctor see Rose`s unofficial Torchwood medical records. He gave him all the information regarding the Dimension Cannon. When he had told the Doctor all he knew he asked what was wrong with her. The Doctor, of course, hadn`t told him.

Then he had asked, no insisted, that he let him have full use of the med-bay to conduct his own set of tests on her.This worried Pete, what if there was something really wrong with his Rose?

He looked at Jackie as she began to stir and flipped up his phone.

"Hello...#Oscar? Yes, it's Pete... I'm taking the day off... if the Doctor comes in today I want you to give him full cooperation..."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Doctor and Rose fell onto the back lawn into the damp grass laughing and panting. She turned her head to look at him at the same time as he turned to her. He pulled himself onto his elbow and leaned over kissing her thoroughly. She responded with an urgency that had been growing all week.

He was having trouble using his superior will power, he wanted to wait until... his thoughts were interrupted by a little hand moving to places they shouldn't, he broke away.

"Rose!" he gasped. She grinned wickedly.

"See, common as muck!" He smiled and stood up trying to control the chemicals racing to his groin. 

He put a hand out and helped her up noticing the dilation in her pupils, the swelling of her lips and the quickening of her pulse. He could taste her excitement.

"Rose..." he said softly.

"Yes, Doctor?" she husked. He didn't say anything, just took her hand and started walking with her towards the house. He had come to a decision.

As they walked through the back door the decision quickly deflated. It led into the kitchen and, at the end of the table in her dressing gown, sat Jackie groaning.

"Mum?" said Rose letting go of his hand. Jackie looked up at them. Her eyes were bloodshot and slightly closed. She was virtually green.

"Don't shout!" she rasped to Rose. The Doctor, having regained his composure, started to chuckle.

"Don't you start," she said to him groaning and putting her head in her hands.

Pete was at the juicer with a book, desperately putting ingredients as quietly as possible into the jug. The Doctor strode over to him.

"Allow me my good man, I think this could be my department, I am a Doctor after all!" he said loudly.

"He's doing it on purpose, Rose, he's trying to kill me, he hates me, make him stop!" Jackie whimpered clutching her head.

The Doctor was now, loudly, searching for ingredients in cupboards and the fridge, crashing about and throwing them into the juicer jug.

"Make him stop or I'll kill him, I swear!" He turned the juicer on at full speed humming loudly along to the noise. Then he switched it off, poured the contents into a glass and plopped it down in front of her.

"Down in one, Jackie, hold your nose and don't be sick!" he chimed merrily.

"I hate you you bloody alien git! I'll give you bloody Bringer of Darkness, you'll know what darkness is when I've finished with you!" He stood over her, arms folded, smug grin on his face.

"If you think I'm gonna drink that... what is that colour,green or black? I can't... don't make me... Rose?"

"Jackie, any moment now your three year old son is going to get up and insist on playing alien space travel with me again and again and this time I think I might comply. Oh, and we'll be visiting the noisiest planets in the galaxy!"

Jackie glared at him and picked up the glass. All three of them watched intently. She held her nose and put the glass to her lips.

"Down in one, mind!"

She closed her eyes and drank the disgusting mixture. When the glass was empty she put it down. She opened her eyes and swallowed. For one horrible moment it looked like she was going to retch. Then she blinked.

"See?" said the Doctor, his grin spreading across his face and his eyebrows doing that dance they did when he felt he had done something brilliant. 

"Rehydration Formula, standard mix. Never had to use it myself not with my superior ability to... Jackie what are you doing with that pan? Jackie!" With that he left the room at a sprint, Jackie hot on his tail leaving Pete and Rose breathless with laughter.

When they stopped they could hear the Doctor and Jackie running through the house.

"I'm so glad you're both here, Rose," said Pete.

"You know what, so am I!" she replied wiping tears of laughter from her cheeks.

"What you up to today?"

"Gotta go to work and get my tests results."

"Everything's okay though, isn't it, Rose?" She shrugged.

"I don't think I'm gonna die any time too soon. According to the Doctor, if I was I'd have done it a few times over already!" Pete nodded, a tiny bit of relief seeping into his heart. She had told him more in that one sentence than the Doctor had in an hour.

Jackie came back in the room looking much better and a little flushed from running.

"Lost him," she muttered and started on making a huge cooked breakfast. Pete and Rose looked at her amazed.

"What?" she said seeing their faces, "oh, this? Soon as he smells the bacon he'll be back, then God help him!" She was smiling by now, her headache completely gone.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _One night, you'll see the moon and stars in motion. One night your sea will melt into my ocean... Echo and the Bunnymen_

Rose went looking for the Doctor. She didn't know where he would be hiding in such a big house, so her task could have been difficult. She tried her room without luck, then she wandered up the corridor to the room he was using for "space" and, as she suspected, storage.

She tried the handle but it wouldn't move.

"Doctor?" she said through the door. She heard a thump, then muffled footsteps and the buzzing of his Sonic Screwdriver. He opened the door, looked out, darting his eyes up the corridor, and pulled her in. He secured the door again.

"You Soniced yourself in from my mother?" she laughed.

"She's bloody scary when she gets like that!"

"Good God, you've faced up to a million things more scary than that! What on Earth..." She had looked around the room. It was teaming with all sorts of things, some familiar, some not, but all of them definitely Doctory.

"It's these trans-dimensional pockets. Half this stuff I didn't know I had, just picked it up on the way. Whenever I liked the look of something, or thought it was useful, or safer with me; I put it in my pocket and never took it out! I haven't emptied them yet! 

"But Doctor, there's so much of it!"

"I know I should pack it all back into a pocket but, well, when I get involved in some of it, fiddling around; it takes me back, it feels like I'm in..." He couldn't finish the sentence. Rose's face softened, she rubbed his arm. As usual, it didn't take the Doctor long to get side-tracked.

"But you've got to see this!" he said walking over to the dressing table. He picked up a beautiful crystal prism. It reflected light, scattering rays coloured like rainbows across the walls.

"It's lovely!" gasped Rose holding it.

"But, that's not all, look!" His eyes shone as he placed his Sonic Screwdriver to it and pressed one of the many combinations. A three dimensional hologram burst out of it hitting the walls all around them.

It was an exact replica of the interior of the console room of the TARDIS. Rose gasped walking around the room, imprints of the TARDIS coral on her face. The Doctor pulled the curtains and the effect was breathtaking. It was like they were standing in the TARDIS.

"It's a blueprint for the redecoration of the TARDIS. When I was him, your first Doctor, I changed it, made up a crystal, it's like a data inscription. I then connected it to the console for her to read and next morning the Console room looked like this. I found it in my old jacket." He pointed his head to a battered leather jacket hanging on the back of the door.

Rose was speechless, she handed the crystal back to him and went over to the jacket and stroked it.

"I kept it for sentimental reasons, I can see you understand what I mean," he said dryly.

"I have something that could make it even better," she said finally, "can you bring that to my room?"

When they got to her room Rose rummaged through her C.D. collection, found a disc and put it in her player. She drew the curtains, lay on the bed and patted it. He complied.

"Okay, light it up," she said. The TARDIS console room flickered about them. She pointed the remote control to her player and started the disc. 

Immediately the room was filled with a mixture of different sounds. There were whale calls and subtle grinding vibrations. There was the deep sound of a large engine that had been slowed down. All manner of different noises put together to make a marvellous symphony of sound.

It sounded not exactly, but very like, noises that the TARDIS would make. The Doctor looked at Rose surprised and delighted, questions all over his face. She smiled.

"Mickey made it for me. I was having difficulty sleeping and this seemed to help." They lay there listening to it. After a while Rose glanced over at the Doctor and was shocked to see him crying. She put her arms around him and hugged him.

"I really miss her, Rose. I don't regret the choice I made, losing her for you, but I... she was my home, my friend, for hundreds of years."

"I know," she whispered.

"Even if we do find another, I'll still miss her." Rose said nothing, just held him while he sobbed. It wasn't for long and Rose felt that this was a breakthrough for them, another barrier down.

He lay quietly in her arms and she felt warm and comfortable. She had had a late night, had got up early and it was still relatively so. She felt herself drifting off, then she felt him entering her head.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I smell like I sound, I'm lost and I'm found and I'm hungry like the wolf... Duran Duran_

She accepted him into her head willingly. This was different compared to the first time. He was there but he was looking for something specific. She joined him in the hunt, floating along she tried to pull him up but he was after something different.

She didn't mind, the feeling was wonderful, she felt free and alive. She saw something glimmering far far away and she wanted it. She wanted to run with it and this time he let her, following her.

She ran after the golden light, it felt so good with the wind rushing past her, she felt wild and exhilarated. She could feel herself speeding up and laughed out loud because he was finding it hard to keep up. She ran faster and faster, the light within her grasp, nothing could stop her.

Then she stopped abruptly as she bathed in the golden aura. She was suspended in time. She could see everything, all that is, all that was, all that ever could be.

She saw herself running with the Doctor as she first met him, they were running for their lives but it was thrilling. She saw him laughing at her, shouting at her, crying for her, loving her. She could see all memories of then and now.

This was the place she came to at night. This was the place she wrote her signs of warning. 

She could see him with a sword wearing pyjamas, still finding the time to flirt. She saw him holding her, shouting at her, crying for her, loving her. She saw his face as she nearly got sucked into the void.

She could see the wolf. Not her Wolf, she could see the Haemovariform, the Werewolf. It pulled right up to her and growled. She stood on her hind legs and howled, he crumbled to dust.

Then she felt a pair of hands pulling her, gently pulling her away. Everything went black.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Rose..." His voice was soft and gentle. "Rose..." It curled around her like an embrace. "Rose!" She took a sharp breath in and sat bolt upright. The Doctor looked at her worried.

"I'm sorry, that got a bit out of hand. You alright?" She nodded. "I should've asked, it just sort of happened."

"No, it's okay. Did you get your answers?"

"I certainly got some, did you?" He smiled at her trying to encourage her.

"Well, it's like all my memories deep down inside, all of them. I have kept them wrapped up by a... by a feeling of warmth and strength... of love. I went there to write the messages... I... nobody can hurt me there. I am the Wolf in there." The Doctor nodded.

"When you took in the Vortex you became that... I was there, well that old version of me. You have it still inside... it's like nothing can harm you or those that you love, not without experiencing your wrath. That is your power, that is your strength, that is why you will live for a long, long time."

"I still can't quite grasp it..." 

"Rose, you joke about super human strength, but you're not far off. I have so much going on up here," he tapped his head, "but I've always found it hard to figure out your time lines, it was what first drew me to you. When we get your test results I'll understand better."

"Doctor, what do you mean a long, long time?" she asked him puzzled.

"I think that there are elements of you that have... mutated." He tried to choose his words carefully.

"That sounds awful!"

"I don't really know how else to describe it, I think you're like some kind of hybrid." he said.

"Like a Rose?" she asked her eyebrows furrowing. He smiled.

"Exactly. When you took in the Vortex you made a link with the TARDIS, I mean, that's a given, your relationship with her was so strong it made me jealous sometimes. She is of the Vortex, that is her life force. Anyway, when I took the Vortex from you and returned it to her, there were elements of the TARDIS that remained within you. She changed your structure gradually... you became what she made you. That's what a TARDIS is programmed to do. She grew new things inside you."

"So, I'm bigger on the inside?" she joked.

"Yeah, we're all bigger on the inside," he smiled. "You remember the Nanogenes? How they restructured Nancy as the superior? Before they just went with what they had?"

"Yes... like they had no blueprint." She was beginning to get it.

"The TARDIS was grown and trained in Gallifrey, all her information was from Gallifrey. So she's been trying to treat you as such."

"What are you saying? Am I changing into a Time Lord ?"

"No, I don't think so... you're something new. One of a kind. I've been growing cultures from your blood and I've left them in accelerator pods at different ratios. We need to have a good look at those today and then I'll know more on the physical side."

They sat there for a while with the TARDIS hologram still around them. The disc had finished.

"What is it with that wolf?" she asked after a while.

"Which wolf?" The Doctor stopped very still then.

"Queen Victoria's wolf," she said looking at him, sensing a change in him.

"What do you think?"

"It feels like... I don't know... like everything starts from there. Even though I know there was stuff before, everything leads back to then. It's weird that I feel that. I became the Bad Wolf, a power that's good and free and full of light, but I'm drawn to the opposite. A Werewolf, a power that's evil and imprisoned and full of darkness."

"I don't think it's so weird though. I think you created a safe place after that day. I think you put things that mattered to you that you couldn't save in this place for safety. I think that the world we so flippantly named as "Pete's World" would be more aptly named as "Rose's World". The Werewolf, something that you were terrified of as a child, triggered you to create the parallel split. In your parallel we didn't go to Scotland, Queen Victoria died and the Werewolf went home. In that world the father you never knew became the success he strived to be. I'm sure if we dig enough we will find plenty of things that you've put here."

"And now we're here. Is this Heaven? Are we dead?"

"Well, technically we are to that world, we no longer exist. As for me, I'm lying on Rose Tyler's bed, I've died and gone to Heaven. Easy as that."

"If I'm this mutant alien thing now, can I still do normal stuff like everyone else, like have babies?" She said the last very quietly.

"I think that's probably definitely on the cards..." Getting flustered.

"Probably definitely... is that right?" She was mocking him.

"Well, sort of yes. I'll have to get your blood results and your scan results and we might have to take a look at your... why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're funny. You just told me you want to have babies with me and then you swing off on another tangent!"

"That would be my brilliant scientific mind..." She interrupted.

"Yeah? Well, in my world there's only one way to make babies."

"Rose, can I smell bacon?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Walking home in her wrapped world, she survived but she's feeling old and she found all things cold...The Stranglers_

"Do you know what happened to the Royal family when this world became a Republic?" he asked on the drive up to London.

"No, Doctor, I don't exactly know much about our old universe history, let alone this one, why?" She glanced across at his hands on the wheel.

"Well, they just seem to disappear. I tried the internet and history books and Torchwood records, there's nothing They just, sort of, vanish."

"Perhaps they all returned to their planet," Rose joked.

"Brilliant, why didn't I think of that?" he smiled.

"I was joking, Doctor! What is the obsession with the monarchy anyway?"

"It's not them... it's the Koh-i-Noor I'm interested in." 

"What that big diamond?" Roses mouth dropped open.

"Yes, Rose, that "big diamond" as you so eloquently put it! In the old world it was passed down through the family to the Queen Mother and it is still on her crown on display in the Tower of London. The Tower of London here isn't quite what I expected."

 

"Nah, luxury flats here, really expensive but great views. What do you want it for?" She was beginning to sound suspicious.

"Nothing, just a theory, that's all."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was quiet in the Torchwood building and Rose thought this was unusual for a Wednesday morning. But then, catching the tired expression on the receptionist's face she remembered that most of the staff would be home nursing hangovers.

In the lift she smiled at the Doctor somewhat nervously. He didn't stop the lift this time as they weren't alone, but he squeezed her hand to try and reassure her.

As they walked up the corridor to the med-bay her feet felt heavy.

"Come on, Rose, you've faced far worse than this," she told herself. The Doctor said nothing, but she had a feeling he was inside her thoughts.

They got to the door and was reminded of Saturday, when the four of them had been about to leave the TARDIS to face the Daleks. She had turned to Jack and smiled uttering excitement at facing Daleks again, "Woah God!" he had responded, and that was how she felt; without the tummy curdling thrill.

He smiled at her and opened the door, the place was empty much to their relief.

"Rose, don't worry, I don't think there's going to be any surprises." He tried to reassure her. She nodded a half grin, sat down and waited.

The Doctor put on his glasses and went over to something that looked a lot like a small fridge. He pulled out a plastic tray that contained something that looked like clear plastic eggs. Each egg was carefully labelled with the strange script of his home world.

He went over to the microscopes. Quickly he set to work putting cultures underneath them, making observations and comparisons. She watched him work and began to relax, he knew what he was doing and he didn't seem worried.

It took a long time for him to analyse them and Rose said nothing while he worked. Finally. he looked up slightly dazed as if coming out of a trance. He smiled at her.

He went over to the computer and flicked up her records and glanced at the M.R.I. results but showed little interest in them.

"Well," he said swivelling his chair around and looking directly at her, "I've gone as far as I need to with this."

"And?" a lump was forming in her throat.

"Well, come here and I'll show you." She moved over to the desk and he pointed out the samples gradually explaining what each one was.

"This is your blood left as it was when I took it from you yesterday, nothing very unusual about it, looks like any other sample. This is your blood mixed with a botulism sample, that spreads fast, what difference can you see?" She looked through the microscopes trying hard to find a difference, she pulled back shaking her head.

"I can't see any difference," she said sadly. He nodded.

"Yep, your blood won't accept it, it just deflected it, see that blob over there? That's the sample I mixed into your blood." It took a moment for her to comprehend what he was saying.

"So, I've got a super immune system then?"

"That's what it looks like, this one here? Bubonic plague, okay very tamed down but still quite nasty, not anywhere near your blood. This one? Influenza, can't even see the sample, it's gone. So yeah, these three would lead me to conclude you have a very strong immune system." She looked at him biting her lip.

"That's okay, isn't it?" He smiled.

"You're not going to get ill in a hurry, I'd say that was a definite bonus, wouldn't you?" She smiled weakly.

"What else?" she asked.

"See this here? That's your blood accelerated ten years on, that one fifty and that one there one hundred. I could've continued but I didn't think I needed to." Rose looked through all three magnifying glasses, she studied them for a while.

"This one doesn't look any different, but I can see slight changes in this one and a few more in this, but not much." Again, the Doctor nodded.

"These prove to me that your ageing process is significantly slowed down. You are ageing, but at an extremely slow rate. This one here, a hundred and twenty five years old and it shouldn't be alive, but it's showing the ageing process of an equivalent to five human years. You're going to be around a long time, Ms Tyler." Rose said nothing for a long time.

"So, that's okay then, isn't it? We get to hang out for a lot longer than you thought!" He laughed and put his arms around her.

"That's one way of putting it." She could see how happy and excited he was as they hugged. Her thoughts were whizzing around her head, then she groaned.

"What?" he said his eyebrows knitting together.

"I think we might have to leave the country," she said with a wicked glint in her eye. 

"Why?"

"When my mother finds out I never have to go through any age related beauty treatments she's going to kill me!"


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Roses shall divine holy mother, mother of gold, mother with stories to be told. Told and retold. She felt our tears, heard our sighs and turned to gold before our eyes... Patti Smit_

When they left the med-bay it was late afternoon. Their spirits were much higher than when they arrived. They walked up the corridor hand in hand, laughing.

There were met by three men, one of them was Jake, another Guy, who the Doctor had met the other day and the last was a man named Oscar.

"Doctor, Rose," said Jake, "sorry to bother you, but we're short staffed and there's a Code Blue in Cardiff. Half the Welsh team are down here because of last night. Pete said you were here, thought you might lend a hand, show us how it's done."

"Code Blue?" said the Doctor glancing at Rose.

"Alien object crash site. No sign of danger, usually entails alien deaths," she answered.

"There's something not quite right about it though," said Oscar, "they're picking something up from the wreckage."

"Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Cardiff?" he answered with a small smile.

"The helicopter's waiting upstairs on the heliport, we can be there in forty five minutes," said Jake.

It wasn't long before they were air-born. Rose smiled at the Doctor and his face exploded into his widest grin.

"Old times, eh, Shiver?" he winked.

"Allons-y, Shake!" she replied matching his grin, the familiar rush of adrenalin gripping her stomach.

"Hey, that's my word!" he exclaimed pretending hurt.

The Doctor and Rose gazed at the beautiful landscape as they followed the winding rivers towards the green green grass of Wales.

"Do you get much alien activity in Cardiff?" The Doctor asked Jake. Jake nodded.

"You know, we did consider moving our base up here at one point. We have a handful of agents based here. They monitor the activity."

"Any theories as to why Cardiff?" asked the Doctor. Rose took over from there.

"There was a rift here back in 1869, got sealed by a very brave girl who had some psychic abilities. The theory is that a rift leaves a crack and occasionally certain things are attracted to it. Usually certain things of the alien kind."

"So, it's still here, then?" muttered the Doctor. Rose nodded with a small smile. 

The helicopter landed in a field two miles outside of Cardiff city centre. They made their way through some dense Pine trees and were led to the crash site. The Doctor took over immediately without hesitation. 

The wreckage had pushed itself deep in to the ground on impact and the Doctor easily jumped down into it. He examined two bodies that had been covered.

"Oh, how... life's so unfair! So many species and it had be this one!" Rose climbed down beside him. The alien's were of human build but were shaded in different colours of green and blue in an almost mottled effect. They were hairless and earless. Rose got a feeling of intense sadness as she looked.

"What are they?" she asked stroking the cold skin of the female.

"They were Lullabeans, very rare, a dying breed. Looks like they were a couple, husband and wife. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," he said to them before he covered them back up and continued to inspect the wreck. "There's more to it than that though. This looks like an escape pod and Lullabeans don't abandon their ships on the whole. Their ship would have been their home, they would only have bailed out if they felt they had something more precious than their home." He looked at her pointedly.

"Doctor, do you mean there could be something else in here? We should get out it could be dangerous!"

"No, Lullabeans are one of the most gentle of species I know of. There is something that isn't quite fitting together though." He started to rummage very carefully through the wreck.

"So, do you think there's something valuable left in there?" asked Jake from above them.

"No... weell... yes, valuable to them." He was scanning with his Sonic Screwdriver, pushing around the dead couple inside the remains of the pod.

"Rose, can you get your fingers in under there to that button control pad?" Rose slipped under him and pushed her tiny hand under a piece of warped metal.

"Great, now you need to find a code in amongst those symbols and patterns."

"But how?" she stammered looking up at him, her face barely inches from his.

"They're telepathic sorts these, if you search your mind it'll come to you, just trust your instincts." he whispered.

"Can't you?" She opened her eyes wide, knowing that something important was happening instinctively.

"Oh, I'm here too, it needs both of us." Rose searched his face, not understanding and then she nodded, closed her eyes and opened her thoughts to him. Within seconds a picture emerged in her head, a group of patterns and colours. Deftly her fingers went to work on the buttons repeating the pattern, then she opened her eyes and looked at him. He stood up letting her straighten. There was silence for a moment.

A low grinding noise started in the panel of metal between the two dead bodies. It got louder and sparks started to fly. Jake and the rest of the team raised their weapons but the Doctor held his arms out to them his palms flattening the air. 

The panel started to move, it slid upwards towards Rose and then it began to gradually open. A great hissing noise and a large amount of steam expired from the inside of the panel. Rose raised her hand and brushed at it to see the interior. 

As the mist cleared Rose peered in, her eyes rounded at what she saw. Inside there was a small compartment lined with soft fabric and sitting on some cushions sat a smaller version of the dead aliens beside her. It looked up at Rose and held it's arms up to her.

"Korresia..." it said quietly. Instinctively Rose picked it up and held it tightly in her arms. It put it's arms around her and clung on tightly muttering this one word. Rose looked up at the Doctor, she could see the tears in his eyes.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Put your faith in what you believe in. Two worlds, one family. Trust your heart. Let fate decide. Guide these lives... Phil Collins_

"But, Doctor what does it mean?" said Rose for the fourth time. They were at Torchwood Base in Cardiff. The sleeping Lullabean was still wrapped in Rose's arms.

It wasn't the same Torchwood Hub like in the old world, but a floor in a high building opposite the Water Tower overlooking Cardiff Bay.

"Mean? It's an orphan, Rose, a very scared orphan, what do you think it means?" The Doctor was pacing the room clearly wound up.

"I... we... released it from there using some kind of telepathic link. Doctor, what was that?" She continued despite the Doctor's obvious stress levels. He stopped and sat by her.

"Could be a couple of things. It could have been the echo of the child's parents connecting with us to preserve the life of their child. I've seen similar things before. It could have been the child itself reaching out to connect once the link to its parents was severed." The Doctor put his head in his hands and pulled his palms down his face.

"And the word it spoke... korr... what was it?" she faltered.

"Korresia," his tongue slipped skilfully around it so it sounded as the child had said it, "in literal terms it translates as Golden Rose."

"What does that mean?"

"Weell... the gold part is a symbol of something new and the Rose is a symbol of nurture..."

"Oh God!" she interrupted. Now she was in his place. Panic gripped her as she stood up and gently placed the alien baby on the med-bay bed.

"Rose, what else can we do? What's the alternative?" Rose stared at the child sleeping sweetly with it's thumb in it's mouth.

"I... can't... we... But how?" she stammered.

"I don't know. The female of the Lullabeans are the dominant, if we were to take on the role of its... parents, I would have to follow your lead. The decisions would be yours."

"Sounds more like my mother's cup of tea. Parents?" Her eyes were round as saucers.

"I don't know what choice we have," he said standing up and wrapping his arms around her.

"We don't know anything about it! What sex is it? How old is it? What's its name?" She was in rambling mode.

"It's hard to tell what gender it is, they don't show until they hit puberty. I might be able to find out from it when it's awake. It must be about two Earth years, I'd say. As for its name, again it might be able to tell me when it's concious. If it can't say, then I might be able to establish a psychic link, if it lets me."

"I hate calling it it." He nodded with a slight shrug.

"What now?" she asked, resigning herself to the present and not the future.

"Now? Now I want you to get some sleep, keep an ear out for... the child, he/she might have nightmares." Rose smiled, then her face clouded over.

"What about you? What will you be doing?"

The Doctor took a deep breath which turned into a resigned sigh.

"I have to conduct the autopsy. Don't look at me like that, Rose. I have to! What butchers would you rather leave it too? I phoned Pete and he's in agreement that if I perform it we can take the remains back to London with us. That way we can bury them there and give them a proper shrine for the child to visit. One day it will ask questions and at least it'll have that."

"Doctor... you... I..." Rose was again without words.

"Rose, I'm a Doctor, I have done this sort of thing before. It isn't something I'm going to relish, but one positive thing is that I will understand more about the species biology which will help with..." He looked at the sleeping alien child pointedly.

"What did Pete say about the child?"

"I didn't tell him."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want him and Jackie getting any preconceptions, let's just let it work its charm on them..." He kissed her and let go of her. She stared at him for a while then her eyes went suddenly very wide.

"What?" he said sharply.

"Well, if we`re hypothetical parents that makes Mum hypothetical Grandma...she's gonna kill me again!"

**********************************************************

Pete arranged a larger helicopter the next morning to bring them home, with facilities for the aliens remains. They landed on the heliport at the Tyler Mansion. Pete and Jackie were there to meet them.

The alien child had not stirred until this moment and it clung to Rose as she ran underneath the choppers blades. Pete and the Doctor remained to oversee storing the bodies in a disused cold storage outbuilding that was once used for Vitex industries. They did this without Jackie's knowledge because they knew what she would say about it, and do.

When they got back inside the child was sat on Jackie's lap playing with her hair.

"Aieuile!" it said to her and she looked to the Doctor.

"It keeps calling me that, don't you? And Jackie wants to know what it means, doesn't she?" She addressed most of it actually to the child who kept on grabbing her temples and smiling its great big eyes glowing at her. The Doctor contemplated translating.

"Seems to have taken a shine to you," he murmured. At the sound of his voice the alien child looked up.

"Sainte Docteur!" it whittered.

"That sounds like French," remarked Pete.

"Yes, it did, it called me Saint Doctor! I quite like that!" The Doctor grinned.

"You would! If it's speaking French what did it call me?" asked Jackie.

"Rose will tell you later, " said the Doctor quietly after giving it some thought. The child was really doing its bit to enchant them all. It was cuddling and speaking words that did indeed sound French and all the while trying to make psychic contact with any one of them. 

Eventually the Doctor gave in and he took it from Jackie's lap and sat it in Tony's high chair. Everyone fell silent, including Tony. The Doctor smiled and moved his face within its reach, immediately the child's hands went up to the Doctor's temples. He glanced at Rose.

"Really is trying to make contact," he said. Rose nodded as he put his fingers to the child's temples, letting the child explore his. Within a few minutes the Doctor had stopped, his face serious.

"She's a girl, she comes from one of the more prominent members of the Lullabean families, the Naissance family. Her name is Jactance Naissance. She`s named after an ancient fable. It translates as Donna Noble." His eyes were full of tears and Rose put her arms around him.

"How can it be an ancient fable? It only happened last week!"

"Their home planet is light years away." Rose understood, she had done enough travelling to realise the concept of time and space. Jackie and Pete said nothing but looked at each other as if the conversation had been in Lullabean.

"What happened?" Rose asked.

"That we'll never know," he replied shaking his head. Meanwhile Jactance had climbed down from the high chair and walked up to Tony. They were not quite the same height and he grinned as she stopped in front of him. She pointed at him.

"Oncle?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I'm Tony, do you want to play with me?"

"Tony? Play?" she repeated. He nodded. They stood looking at each other for a while then he took her hand and smiled.

"Run!" he shouted and they sped off together on a trip around the house.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Where have you come from? Where are you going? Tell me what's bought you here now and is your heart singing? Then share what you bring, we all are part of the show... Amy Grant_

Early in the evening sun they were sat outside, the remains of their meal on the big wooden table before them.

They were watching the toddlers playing on the huge wooden climbing frame that Tony had got for his third birthday.

Pete was jumping around underneath them because it seemed that both Lullabean and human had total disregard for their safety and were in competition to get up highest.

Jackie was smiling, watching him with his hands up as the little ones climbed rings around him.

"Now we are six," the Doctor said quietly and both Rose and Jackie looked at him in question.

"What?" said Rose with a half smile. 

The Doctor looked at them, surprised. "Oh, it`s just me being a bit sentimental, you know, superstitious, I suppose. We didn't really have a word for superstition, bit above all that, weell... I suppose belief could be another word for it, or tradition, but that's not quite right..."

"Doctor..." Rose interrupted.

"Oh, was I rambling? Where was I? Oh, yes... six. An important number in Gallifrey, it's a long story but it feels better to have the six of us together on Saturday, more complete." Rose smiled at him fondly, shaking her head. Jackie was staring at him open-mouthed.

"What, Jackie? Have I said something wrong? Don't... why are you getting up... Jackie?" She had engulfed him in a great big hug followed by a classic wet smacker on his lips. The Doctor was surprised to see there were tears in her eyes. She shook her head, squeezed Rose's hand and went off to help Pete.

"What was that about?" asked the Doctor, totally bemused and wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"I think that's the closest you've got to calling Mum family! Now we are six, it was so funny!"

"It was serious," he said quietly and Rose stopped, seeing the look on his face. "Anyway, I've got to keep her sweet."

"Why's that, then?" she humoured him.

"Someone's got to look after Jactance while we're on honeymoon."

"Honeymoon?"

"Yep."

"We can't leave her so soon..." Rose`s eyes clouded over with worry.

"Yes we can and yes we will. I'm putting my foot down here, Rose, I am not taking a child on our honeymoon! "

"Honeymoon?"

"Oh, yes!"

"Where?"

"Barcelona, of course!" Rose smiled at him thoughtfully.

"Doctor, if we do find a TARDIS, and if we do manage to get it going and we do find a way of fuelling it; then what do we do about Jactance?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, Rose if we do manage to do all those things, I think that Jactance will be happy to spend time here and on our hypothetical TARDIS. But Rose, we should, if we can, hypothetical TARDIS allowing; try to find out what's happened to the rest of her family. That is the right thing to do." He looked at her seriously. Rose nodded sadly. They stared at the four figures across the garden.

"Before we leave tomorrow I've got to go up to town," he said.

"Why?" She turned to him, inquisitive.

"I've got to pick up a few things." His eyes didn't quite meet hers. She decided not to push it. There was another pause.

"Where are we getting married?" she asked.

"Scotland."

"Well, I know that! Where in Scotland?" 

"Surprise." He was not giving anything away.

"I assume we're staying in a hotel overnight?"

"Oh, yes!" He smiled.

"And Saturday night?" His eyes had taken on a gleam all of their own.

"No Doctor, I mean will we be staying in the hotel overnight or travelling Saturday?" The Doctor looked at her for a long moment.

"Spoilers," he whispered.

"What?" she asked, puzzled, but he had gone to see what the rest of the six were up to.

Later that evening when Jactance had insisted on sleeping in Tony's room, they all slumped on sofas in front of the telly sharing a bottle of wine.

As usual there were arguments about what to watch and wrestling matches ensued over the remote control. This was with much hilarity.

In the end they went random and Rose closed her eyes and pressed a button. It tuned into channel seven.

"What is this?" said Pete, handing the Doctor a beer.

"Casanova, it looks a bit colourful but it's written by Russell Davids so it should be good." They watched for a while.

"He's a bit good, isn't he?" giggled Rose, looking at Jackie. It was the Doctor who replied.

"Weell... his hair's a bit floppy, but there's a certain charisma, I'll give him that... nothing like the real Casanova though."

"Oh, and you met him?" said Rose, arching her brow.

"We've met him, Rose, we, you and and me. You know Jacko... the one who tried to... oh, you know and you gave him a kick in the... you know?"

"Oh, yes, Jacko! I remember, yes, nothing like!" Rose looked at Jackie and winked. Jackie giggled. The Doctor took the opportunity to swipe the remote from Rose and flick a switch. There was a scantily clad blonde on the screen now.

"What's this then?" said Rose and Jackie turned to her.

"Secret Diary of a Call Girl, with that pop star from the nineties, what's her name...." The Doctor had perked up a bit as various naked body parts were displayed on screen.

It was Pete who stood up and turned the set off. "Bed!" he jokingly said. The three protested. "No, we're travelling tomorrow and I, for one, do not want to be knackered with tots in flight! I'm getting too old for that!"

"You can speak for yourself!" said the nine hundred and four (give or take) year old Time Lord.

"No superstitions about seeing the bride the night before her wedding then?" asked Jackie as they made their way upstairs.

"Indeed not, in fact, I need Rose for something in particular tomorrow night and probably the two of you too." 

They had reached the landing and he, unaware that he was being so mysterious; had caused them to stop in their tracks. They stared at each other. He stopped and looked at them.

"What now?" Then a cry from the nursery interrupted and the Doctor and Jackie went together.

"He's great," said Pete, "I had made up my own ideas about him and I was wrong. He loves you very much."

"I know and I love him."

"Yeah, I think we noticed that! What's he up to?"

"I really don't know, he's not giving anything away." A little blue and green figure rushed past them followed by the Doctor.

"Come here, Jactance!" shouted the Doctor but she ran on giggling. The Doctor looked at Rose. "Looks like she might have overdone the sleeping yesterday, I'll settle her, you go and sleep." 

Rose watched his departing bottom and then said goodnight to her dad. As she climbed in to bed she looked at the Doctor's empty space. "Foiled again!" she muttered and settled down to try and get some sleep.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I'll be his and he'll be mine, we'll love until the end of time and we'll never be lonely any more... Dixie Cups_

The Doctor was back from town mid-morning carrying a number of interesting packages.

"What have you there?" asked Rose coming into the hall to meet him.

"Just a few bits and pieces for the trip. My suit, abseiling gear, the usual."

"Suit? You hired a suit?" she asked, surprised.

"No, had one made, as it happens." 

"How can you have one made so quickly?"

"Oh, I can be very persuasive."

"Abseiling gear? Oh God, you haven't arranged for us to get married up Ben Nevis, have you?"

"No... although that does sound rather good." He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. She smiled and put hers around his neck.

"I think it would be cold in my dress and I wouldn't want to get married in my duffel coat."

"Really? I think you'd look great."

"Charmer." They kissed.

"Everyone organised?" he asked eventually.

"Yes, helicopter's packed. Mum's making an early lunch."

"Right, I've just got to go and get a few things from upstairs and then I'm ready." He kissed her quickly and made for the stairs.

"Doctor?" He turned.

"Yes?"

"Why do you need abseiling gear?" He thought hard for a while.

"Because they might not have any there." Was what he actually managed to come up with.

In no time at all they were in the helicopter on the way to the airport. The jet was waiting to board them there.

The Doctor was beside himself with excitement bouncing on his heels and organising everyone.

He had bought Jactance a little outfit from Babyfit. She was wearing little pink Agg boots with cream tights and a little denim skirt. She had a matching pink hoodie and to top it off a wide brimmed denim hat. She looked cute but also inconspicuous. He bought Tony a pair of pin-striped trousers and a t shirt that said "Trust me I'm a Doctor" printed on it.

Rose was very impressed with his choice but he shrugged it off, saying the shop assistants were more than happy to help.

"I'll bet they were!" Rose said with a slight husk.

"Stop it." he said looking down his nose at her with a little smile.

"Not long now..." she said, her tongue tripping over her teeth.

"Stop it!" he said again, grinning from ear to ear.

Finally, they were on the road. They had rented a seven seater four by four. The Doctor found it very frustrating trying to cram everyone's luggage into it. He was used to something entirely different.

Within an hour on the road Rose started to realise where they were headed. As they pulled up at the Glen of Saint Catherine's Monastery she thought she knew what he was up to.

He was grinning like a Cheshire cat when they got out of the car. She looked at him puzzled.

"So, are we getting married here?"

"No, we're getting married at Torchwood House. In the Great Hall, with food!"

"Doctor, this is where Torchwood began." She still didn't get it.

"Yes, and it's the most beautiful place to get married, I remember how much in love Sir Robert and Lady Isobel were. It's romantic."

"Yes, and I remember we nearly died and some did. In this universe we never killed the werewolf." His face was a picture and Rose felt guilty.

"It was a great time though, and it is beautiful." His face lit up.

"And no ones talked of werewolves in many years. I asked when I booked. Soon know though, full moon tonight and the skies lovely and clear!" Rose's jaw nearly hit the floor.

That evening the Doctor took Rose for a drive down to Torchwood house. She thought she was going to have a look at the venue, but no, they were off on a ramble.

The Doctor was nervous and fidgety. They weren't on a romantic stroll through the woods at all and in the end Rose got cross. She stopped, he swung round to see what the problem was and encountered a look on her face that Jackie would be proud of.

"What is going on?" she shouted. 

"I would have thought that that were obvious." Rose stood and waited arms crossed. He was going to have to spell it out.

"Rose in 1879 I planted a TARDIS here. If it's grown here it will have this universes energy." Rose was silent, now piecing it all together. She opened her mouth to speak but he placed a finger on her lips.

"We've got to try and find it yet and it won't reveal itself with negative energy like that." He took out his Sonic Screwdriver and started to scan and calculate how the wooded area would have changed in one hundred and thirty years.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Because my love for you would break my heart in two, if you should fall into my arms and tremble like a flower... David Bowie_

Rose stood there feeling very foolish and a bit useless. The Doctor was in full scientific/telepathic mode. He was muttering and creeping amongst the undergrowth. It was comical and a little bit desperate.

"No, I'm not picking anything up at all," he said sadly, "maybe it didn't transfer into this universe. It was worth a try it being on the cusp, made sense."

"Cusp?"

"Yeah, the actual point of the parallels splitting." He stood listening for a moment.

"Would it disguise itself telepathically?" she asked.

"Could do, survival instinct, yeah."

"Well, if it had?"

"We would just keep on searching until we... that's it! Let's just shut our eyes and walk about until we hit something and then check it, one bit at a time!"

"Doctor, that could take forever!"

"Weeell... haven't we got that?" She looked up and he was smiling at her his eyes were shining.

"Oh, Rose, it might not be here, but we'll find one. I know it! Now come on!"

"What sort of size would it be? What am I looking for?"

"Anything, a tree or a bush, it could be smaller or bigger than our TARDIS." Rose suddenly realised just how big the wood they were standing in was. They carried on looking but after about quarter of an hour Rose sighed and sat down.

"Giving up so soon?" His voice came from amidst a particularly thick bit of undergrowth.

"It's just that we could be at it for hours and we're getting married tomorrow. You're going to need something special to seek this one out. Haven't you got a TARDIS detecting device or something in your never ending pockets? I mean, it's like searching for a needle in a haystack!"

"Rose," he said quietly.

"Yes, Doctor?"

"I'm wondering if the wolf should go hunting." There was a slight husk in his voice.

"What?" Alarm bells were ringing.

"You said have I got something special to hunt this one out. Indeed I have. Bad Wolf had a connection with the TARDIS, maybe she will with this one."

"Here? In the woods? As I recall you had a connection with the TARDIS too! It's getting dark and you said it was going to be a full moon!"

"If we put our minds together it might help, would be a very powerful thing. It wouldn't take long." Rose stood up shaking her head.

"It's one thing nice and naked in the shower, or lying on my bed with a hologram of the TARDIS drifting about us; but in the woods?"

"You're not scared are you?" He started to walk towards her.

"Why, would that be such a crime?"

"Gelth? Slitheen? Daleks? Cybermen? Daleks and Cybermen? Do I need to continue?" He had, by now, moved right up to her so his body was touching hers. Her pulse went up a notch and he smiled as he felt it.

"I wonder exactly what I could get you to do in the woods." He bent down and kissed her. She leant into him and kissed him back hungrily, snaking her arms up around his neck.

He pulled her body right into his, pressing against her. She could feel his excitement tightening in his trousers against her, feel his pulses up their tempo. His clever tongue sort out hers and she eagerly met it.

He pulled his head back breaking the kiss, licking the taste of her off his mouth.

"I could probably get you to do anything in these woods, coudn't I?" he whispered. His hands moved their way up her t-shirt searching for the bare skin underneath. She gasped at the ice cold touch of his fingers as he explored.

Gently, he finger tipped her hot skin lightly finding erogenous zones she never knew existed. His finger traced her hardening nipples under the lace fabric of her bra making her gasp. He smiled at her as he felt her reaction.

He moved one hand down her stomach to the waistband of her track suit trousers. Discovering that he could slip his hand down the stretchy material he continued, reaching down to her knickers and inside them feeling the slick wetness of her heat. She groaned as he found her clitoris.

"Now I know I could get you to do anything in the woods." he smiled, teasing her as his thumb began to circle the sensitive bundle of nerves. Her pelvis bucked into his hand which encouraged him to place a finger inside her. 

She bit her lip as he started to move his thumb and finger in a slow rhythm. All the time he was watching her face, watching the reaction he had on her. He put a second finger into her and increased the speed of the rhythm.

"Doctor.." she gasped.

"Rose..." he whispered back smiling down at her.

"No... Doctor... I can hear voices." He stopped, listening. Indeed there were voices in the woods.

Without removing his hand he pushed her into a denser part of the wood. They kept moving like this for some time, all the while never breaking eye contact.

Finally he backed her into a tree and listened again. All was quiet.

"Now, where was I?" he whispered and resumed the rhythm. He could feel Rose's muscles clenching around his fingers, her hips grinding into his hand. She leant against the tree arching her back.

And then she disappeared.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _When you look deep into the pockets of the universe, you never know what you might find because stars don't shine in singular places. Open up your minds eye and shine on familiar faces... Kylie Minogue_

The tree she was leaning on had given way and she had fallen into what looked like, inside it.

When the Doctor focused himself all he saw was a tree with a long deep gash in it leading from head height to ground. Rose's legs were poking out of the hole on the ground. She was struggling and squeaking.

He helped her to her feet and pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver.

"Oh, ho, ho! You beauty!" he shouted as he scanned the chasm in the tree and walked right in to it.

Rose stood there for a moment looking at the tree. He had gone, vanished. How could that be? Then his head appeared through the opening and spoke.

"Come on!" His arm reached out, grabbed her and pulled her inside.

They were standing in a room. From what Rose could see by screwdriver light it was a large round room.

"Is this?" she whispered.

"Oh yes!" he said grinning from ear to ear, not that she could see the grin, she just knew.

She heard him moving about, heard the rustle of his pockets and the buzz of his Sonic Screwdriver and then they were standing in the console room of the TARDIS. He smiled at her.

"It's only the hologram, I bought it with me," he said. Rose walked around in wonder.

"We found it?" she said stupidly.

"You found it," he smiled.

"I rather think there was two of us involved," she murmured still feeling the whispers of desire in her groin. He didn't seem to notice though the excitement was still very clearly visible beneath brown pin stripe cloth.

"We've found it Rose! We've found it!" He danced around and then picked her up and swirled her in circles. Then they fell quiet and just stood staring at what was to become their new home.

"What now then?" she asked finally.

"Well, now we have to power her up. Once that's done she can get to work with all the details. At the moment she's a room in a tree. She would, left to her own devices continue to expand of her own will. If we can get some power into her then we can influence her development."

"How do we do that then?" He looked at her hard then he grabbed her hand. He flicked a switch on his Sonic Screwdriver and plunged them into darkness. Then he pulled her out of the tree shutting the door behind them. Without looking back he started to march out of the wood.

"Doctor, we only just found it, if you don't mark the spot we might not be able to again." He stopped and looked at her hard.

"I know where it is now," he said softly and continued out of the trees dragging her with him.

Rose soon realised where they were headed as they approached the large familiar house.

"Doctor." she whispered. He turned to look at her his eyebrows raised, "what are you doing?"

"I have to check something," he answered walking them round to the kitchen door.

"It's locked," she said. There was a buzz and the next moment they were standing in the familiar kitchen of Torchwood House.

"It's like going back in time," she murmured.

"Rose, really?" he was laughing at her and she felt silly.

"Stop it, you know what I mean! It's all the original stuff!" She was right, the kitchen was no longer used. It was merely a show-piece for visitors to look at.

"Come on," he said grabbing her hand again. 

They moved quickly along the same wooden corridors they had only a few years before. Up the wooden staircase that was said to be made from lightening wood. Up the tall tower they went until they got to the observatory.

The Doctor stopped and looked at the shut door and then back at Rose. She saw something in his eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time. He was nervous.

"Come on then, go in!" she hissed. He put his hand on the knob and opened the door.

The magnificent telescope still stood as they had left it. Probably untouched in nearly one hundred and thirty years, or so the Doctor hoped.

They stood gazing at it for a while and then the Doctor sprang into action. He started to fiddle about with the instrument working at different screws and cogs with his Sonic Screwdriver. Deftly he worked muttering to himself.

"It has to be... it can't be anywhere but... it's not there." Rose watched him deflate as he gave up and sat on the floor. She sat down beside him.

"Are you ever going to tell me what's going on?" she asked after a while.

"Well," he pulled out a power crystal from his pocket, "remember what this is?"

"Yeah, course, give me some credit!" He looked at her sharply.

"If I can get this charged up it will power the TARDIS up. When we came here the first time I used ten years of my life to charge one. But I haven`t got the same energy as this universe yet. If I charged this up myself we would never find compatible fuel and though I don't mind losing ten years here or there, I wouldn't want to make a habit of it."

"Surely Doctor we should be looking for a fuelling source now?"

"No, we don't need to. The rift is still at Cardiff. The parallel split was ten years after our adventure with the Gelth. Though the split was before, the energy isn't the same."

"Couldn't you just charge this in Cardiff and bring it here?"

"Rose, it needs a massive amount of power to get this going. The rift can refuel a fully functioning TARDIS but not power her up. We're here to charge this up using the beam we killed the werewolf with. We're here, the moon will be full in a few hours, everything is perfect, save one thing."

"The Koh-i-Noor?"

"The Koh-i-Noor. You see, I tried to trace it. In the old universe it went back with Queen Victoria and was handed down ending up on the Queen Mother's crown on display in the jewel room in the Tower of London. In this universe it disappeared here, or at least it disappeared with Queen Victoria. I was banking on it never being removed from the telescope and it being here. No one would have known about it." 

They sat there quietly for a while. Then Rose straightened.

"But Doctor, if you were the person to cut the diamond down to fit it properly, then why would it be in the telescope?" The Doctor stared at her in disbelief his mouth opening and closing. Then suddenly he jumped up.

"Brilliant!"


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Drench yourself in words unspoken. Live your life with arms wide open. Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten... Natasha Beddingfield_

The grin spread across his face and he jumped up.

"Now all we have to do is find it, I mean it must be here, right? If it just disappeared then it must be hidden here?"

"Yeah, Queen Victoria kept it in a little wooden box, it was one of her most treasured things."

"That's right!" He was bouncing on his heels. "So if you wanted to hide something really special here where would you hide it?"

"That's assuming, Doctor, that they even made it up here, as I recall it was you that got us out of the library when the creature came through the glass roof." He smiled at her.

"Rose Tyler how did I ever survive without you?" he smiled.

"What did I do?"

"The library, the perfect place to hide a small wooden box! Sir Robert knew that his father and Albert were up to something, he also knew that the library was smothered in Viscum Album... a known werewolf deterrent. He probably would have tried to get to the observatory but there probably wasn't time. It must have all happened there!" He took her hand and they set off for the library.

"Oil of Mistletoe, I remember!" she smiled as they broke into a run.

As they made their way down the stairs towards the library they were met by an official in uniform.

"The house shut half an hour ago, you're not supposed to be here." The Doctor flicked out his psychic paper and used his deep throaty Scottish accent.

"It's about the woodworm in the library, we were told it's best to work out of hours."

"On a Friday night?"

"I have the paperwork, I have a contact number. It might take some time but you could phone my supervisor, as you say it's Friday night, most people will be on their way home for the weekend." The warden contemplated the idea of using valuable time when he had the needed identification in front of him anyway.

"I'll show you to the library," he said.

"We know where it is, thank you my good man." 

When they got into the library the Doctor smiled and inhaled, shutting the doors.

"Smell it, Rose?" he asked. She shook her head smiling.

"What book?" she asked.

"Take your pick. There won't be one dating from after 1879, I'll bet!" He pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver and moved quickly around the room. Rose started with a few of the classics pulling them out. She had that feeling of hunting for a needle in a haystack again.

"Doctor, if I was hiding something dear to me here I would hide it in a book that meant something to me. My history is rubbish but yours..." she tailed off hoping to place some kind of spark.

The Doctor started to pace and mutter racking his brains.

"Think!" he shouted at himself running his fingers through his hair. "Oh! Hang on! Yes there was something that might have relevance. She had a deep friendship with Mr. Brown after Albert's death. There is recording of her gifting him..." His hands were all over his face trying to wring the information out of his head.

He ran over to a section of books and started to read through them.

"Hi... Hi... Hi... there they are." He reached up and pulled a pair of books out from a shelf high up. On tiptoe he pushed his hand in to the gap left behind them and felt. Then he stopped and smiled. He pulled out the dusty box with the biggest grin on his face.

"Highlanders of Scotland. She made a present of them to Mr. Brown, caused a scandal. Not these particular ones, but I would suppose any well off house would have had copies." He handed the box to Rose with an expectant face.

She opened it and sitting there on a red velvet cushion was the biggest diamond ever recorded in the world.

"Bingo!" she said with a smile.

"Now we need to go back to the hotel and organise things, I want to get back here for midnight and we might need an extra pair of hands. I have to get out and check the main eye of the lens. It would be awful if the whole thing went belly's up because the lens was dirty wouldn't it? I'm going to have to get up on the roof."

"You're going to have to cut the diamond as well, Doctor."

"So I am, I'll do that now!"


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _And then there suddenly appeared before me the only one my arms will ever hold. Heard someone say please adore me and when I looked the moon had turned to gold... Louis Armstrong_

"So let me get this straight, you are going to creep up to Torchwood House at the dead of night and climb up the observatory tower onto the roof and give the old telescope a service?"

"Yep!" The Doctor nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"It's no use asking Pete, you'll never get the right answer out of them!" Jackie was not amused.

"It's important, Mum," said Rose trying to appeal to her. Pete looked from one to the other and finally nodded. 

"Jackie stays here though, with Tony and Jactance."

"Pete, you shouldn't give in to their games! It's madness."

"Jackie, it's the night before they get married. True, they are an unusual pair, but if they need to do this then who am I to stop them?"

"You're her father!" All eyes turned to her with brows raised. "Fine, just leave me here worrying. Go and break your neck, Doctor! Break my girls heart again!" 

The Doctor sighed and sat down by Jackie.

"What did I promise you all that time and universes ago, Jackie?"

"That you'd look after her, always bring her back."

"Yes, and that means I'll have to look after myself now seeing as she can't manage without me."

"Bighead!" muttered Rose.

"You can't trust us enough to tell us even now?" Jackie asked turning to the Doctor. He took a deep breath and pulled the power crystal from his pocket.

"See this?" Pete glanced at it and pulled back a bit remembering how one of those destroyed a whole clutch of Cybermen.

"It's beautiful," said Jackie her eyes shining.

"When this is powered up," he glanced at Pete, "it can do many useful things."

"Why do you need to charge it and what's it got to do with the telescope?"

"I want to use it to power up a TARDIS." The Doctor said quietly.

"You what?" This time Rose stepped in.

"He grew one Mum, planted it a hundred and thirty years ago. It's in the woods."

"So you're gonna leave again?"

"No, we're not leaving," said the Doctor softly but all eyes flew to him nevertheless.

"We're just going to travel this universe. But we'll always come back, just as we did before." Jackie contemplated this her bright blue eyes glistening with moisture.

"We have no intention of going to the old universe. There are a Doctor and a TARDIS there already."

"But you could get lost again." Jackie said deep in thought.

"Yes, we could, but we're here now. I'm confident that one way or another we'd find a way back to you." 

"You've got a way with words, you have. Spend most of the time being rude or mad and when it comes to persuasion you really can turn on the charm." Jackie sniffed. He grinned.

"Come on Jackie, you're my best man, that's got to account for something, hasn't it?" He nudged her with his elbow.

"Mmm, didn't have much choice though, did ya?"

"Mum!" snapped Rose.

"Fine, don't worry. You need to do something to charge up that so you can pee off in your precious blue box."

"It's a tree at the moment," said Rose.

"A tree? That's weird," said Jackie.

"In a wood, weird?" said Pete shaking his head. "So what's in the observatory that's going to help you with that?" 

The Doctor and Rose went into a brief and very censored version of the night of Queen Victoria's attack. Of course Jackie picked up and reacted to just the one word.

"Werewolf?"

"I don't think they're here any more," said the Doctor quickly.

"You don't think! Well, mister, we've been here all afternoon and we've heard plenty. They were commenting on the full moon in practically every sentence." The Doctor`s face fell.

"Well, that does change things a bit," he said solemnly.

"Doctor, it doesn't," said Rose quickly.

"I'm not risking anyone's life, Rose."

"We faced the wolf before."

"Yes and people died that night. I couldn't risk you or Pete."

"I want to help," said Pete quietly.

"What?" said Jackie sharply.

"No Jacks, if this place is being terrorised by a werewolf every full moon then I, as head of Torchwood should be helping them. And Rose is an agent. In fact, Doctor, I think we should get some of Torchwood Six up here."

"Torchwood Six! How many are there in this universe?"

"Doesn't matter, question is, are you willing for me to set up agents to try and deal with this tonight so you can have a free hand in what you need to do?"

"Pete, I can't."

"If you don't, Doctor he'll only be back next full moon to try. I know who I'd rather was with him," said Jackie. Pete got out his mobile.

"Well, Doctor?" he asked.

"I don't want trouble. I don't want an army trudging through the woods. If there is a werewolf it has to be dealt with in a certain way. It doesn't matter how many people are or aren't there. In fact the more people there, the more likely there are to be fatalities. We just need a plan... Rose?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Go downstairs, ask questions, subtle mind, see if the monks are still about in any way. Even if it's some doddery old man with second hand memories. See if you can pick up on the gossip Jackie's on about?"

"Right." She left immediately.

"Pete maybe a few of your less foolhardy agents. Just for lookout. No guns. If there is a werewolf we should deal with it, what do you know?"

"Queen Victoria was attacked at Torchwood House but she didn't die immediately. She had the strength to make sure that she was kept locked away. She went on a hunger strike and died about two months after."

"She was denying the organism living within her sustenance," said the Doctor. "Strong woman, they pinpointed her as a world leader... sent the wolf to transform her so they could dominate the world. She was a world leader alright, protected it from herself."

"Yes the shame of it was that parliament claimed the Royal Family to be of unsound mind and abolished the monarchy."

Pete got on the phone and the Doctor looked at Jackie.

"I want you to stay here, Jackie. I'd rather Rose would, but she won't and I can understand why."

"How will you deal with it?"

"I don't think that there is such a threat. If there is something, it's probably some wild creature running about in the woods. If it is a full blown werewolf then somehow we have to try and lure it up into the the observatory." The Doctor stared into space thinking hard.

"I've got six agents on the way to Torchwood House, should be there within the hour. You're in charge," said Pete coming off the phone.

"I want them posted as lookouts. No weapons, just maintain radio contact. If any of them see the slightest glimpse of the wolf they have one instruction. Run." Pete nodded. Rose returned, her face grim.

"That was quick," said Jackie.

"Yeah, there were a couple of cleaners down the corridor." She looked at the Doctor. "There haven't been any monks here in over a hundred years, but there is talk of strange goings on when the moon is full. Howling in the woods. Livestock being mutilated and thirty years ago a young boy disappeared." The Doctor nodded, taking it in.

"What do you think?" he asked her.

"I think there's no smoke without fire," she answered.

"It's dark we'd better get a move on." They hugged Jackie and left her with Pete for a private farewell.

"Rose," said the Doctor seriously, "I want you to be really careful."

"I always am!"

"No, especially careful. I don't know what that light beam would do to the wolf inside you. Whatever happens keep away from it!" Rose nodded. 

It wasn't long before they were slipping into the dark corridors of Torchwood House.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In the mist of the morning, he cannot fight anymore. Hundred moons or more he's been howling... Sonata Artica_

Apart from the odd crackle from Pete's radio, the three of them were silent as they crept up the observatory tower steps.

Once inside the Doctor quickly set to work with his Sonic Screwdriver, making sure the huge telescope was all lined up and placing the huge diamond into it's correct place. 

He got out a tape measure and started to mark out, using some complicated looking symbols exactly where the point of power would come. He marked the spot.

Then he clipped the safety harness on and attached the climbing rope to the huge telescope itself. He turned to Rose and hugged her.

"Remember what I said."

"Yes, Doctor," she replied rolling her eyes.

He climbed up and out of the hole where the telescope pointed out of the building. His brown pin striped legs disappeared, followed by the beige Converses, then all that remained to show that he was there was the safety cord that looked like some odd kind of umbilical cord. His long brown coat hung on the door.

They heard him scrabbling about just above and then the sound of his Sonic Screwdriver at work.

Rose looked out of the window. The moon was full and big in the sky making it easy to see.

In the distance they heard an echoing cry. There was no denying that that was the howl of a wolf.

There was a pause on the roof and a crackle on the radio.

"I spot the dog... moving your way, boss." Pete muttered instructions into the radio and went and stood by Rose at the window.

"It makes you feel a bit spare," he muttered.

"There'll be plenty to do soon enough," she replied.

"The wolf is in the bay," came another muffled message on the radio as the howling rang around them, closer now.

"Rose?" The Doctor called quietly from above. She climbed up on to the opening.

"Yeah?"

"The safety rope is trapped just over there, can you reach it?" She pulled herself up so she was sitting on the ledge.

"Be careful!"

"Alright, Doctor, I'm not a kid!" She reached but her fingers couldn't quite grasp it so she pulled herself to her feet. There was another howl from below and she knew the wolf was very close.

With the Doctor helplessly looking on she leaned and stretched for the rope. As she freed it she felt her feet slipping. She tried to grab at something but her fingers found no grip. She glanced at the Doctor as she fell. His eyes were wide.

Pete was watching Rose's legs from inside and lurched towards her as she lost her footing, but she was gone by the time he got there. He stuck his head out, just above him the Doctor was looking over the edge of the roof with a look of horror on his face.

"Rose!" they both called down. There was no reply. Out of the trees they could see a large grey figure stalking towards something on the ground below them. They heard a faint moan.

Quick as a flash the Doctor looked at Pete.

"The moon is in alignment, you have to charge the crystal and throw it down to me. It's the only chance we have of saving her! Here's my screwdriver, the setting is six six six on the round button. I've marked the spot and the crystal is in my coat pocket!" With that he undid the safety harness and slid head first off the roof.

Rose was sitting transfixed by the huge wolf in front of her. Why hadn't it attacked? She held eye contact with it as it paced a semi-circle around her. If she sat still she could stall for time.

Above her she was vaguely aware of voices, but she daren't call out. She shifted slightly and a pain shot through her arm. She let out a low moan and the wolf growled.

Then she heard a scrambling noise and the Doctor landed beside her with a grunt.

The wolf stood up on it's hind legs, it's teeth bared and it howled. It made to pounce, but Rose moved fast. She stood between her Doctor and the wolf and let out the most deafening sound from her small injured frame. Her eyes lit with a familiar yellow light. The wolf hesitated.

Above them there was a blue flash and then Pete's voice rang down.

"Doctor!" The Doctor stood up and saw the crystal dropping towards them. He caught it easily and turned to the wolf.

"Get down!" he shouted at Rose and she threw herself painfully into the thorn bush that had broken her fall.

He held the crystal on the palm of his hand and a beam of light shot out and picked up the wolf.

Suspended in mid air with his arms outstretched he transformed back into the man he once was. He looked at the Doctor sorrowfully.

"I bow to my mistress," he whispered, " now, let me go." The Doctor increased the beam and the man let out one more dignified howl and shattered into a million pieces of blue dust.

The Doctor turned to Rose and picked her up.

"I've got you, are you okay?"

"I think my arms broken," she groaned. The Doctor called up to Pete that they were fine and an ambulance was needed.

"That was the crystal, wasn't it? said Rose sadly.

"There`ll be other opportunities," he said holding her close.

"Yeah, that was a close one." He looked at her in the moonlight breathing heavily and nodded.

A trip to casualty confirmed that Rose had indeed broken her arm. She had a few scratches and bruises but was otherwise she was fine. Pete had a few minor burns to his hands and the Doctor was, of course, unblemished.

In no time at all they were back at the hotel where Jackie started to flap about Rose having her arm in a cast on her wedding day.

The Doctor and Rose said very little and let her get on with it. They were just thankful that they were alive. Pete stood about looking like the cat that got the cream.

When Jackie finally calmed down enough for them to explain what had happened omitting a few of the finer details she turned to the Doctor.

"So, you won't be able to power up the TARDIS tonight then?"

"No, " replied the Doctor, "but there'll be other chances."

"Yeah, and at least we finally rid the place of the werewolf," said Rose brightly.

Pete just smiled and sighed. Jackie looked at him suspiciously.

"What?" she snapped and they all turned to him expectantly.

"Well, here's the thing. What do you get the couple who have everything and want nothing for their wedding present? Given the circumstances you'd want it to be something special, right? You've got some big pockets in that coat, Doctor, and finding things is... difficult. I knew what I was looking for and timing was of the essence. Imagine finding two of them in those great big pockets? And then I thought, best be prudent, use my loaf, so I charged `em both!"

He held out another crystal with a huge grin looking very like his daughter who wasn't quite his daughter.

The Doctor stood up and folded a very surprised Pete into his arms.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _There is freedom within, there is freedom without. Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup. There's a battle ahead, many battles are lost. But you'll never see the end of the road until you're travelling with me... Crowded House_

"You alright?" the Doctor asked for the umpteenth time.

"Doctor! I'm fine, it's just a broken arm!"

"You should be resting... a broken limb... still pretty serious stuff!"

"We need to do this tonight! You said you wanted to do this tonight!"

"I know! It doesn't stop me worrying though!"

"Do you know where it is? Can you find it?"

"Of course I know where it is! I told you I'd be able to find it, didn't I?"

It was dark but he soon found what he was looking for. He slid his hands up and down and pushed gently. The opening gave way and he was inside.

"Are you coming, Rose?" he whispered.

"What you whispering for?" she asked as she followed him into the tree that was to become their home.

"I don't know, it's just sort of... right to." In no time at all the Doctor had set up the hologram and they were standing in the illusion of the console room.

"What now?"

"Well, we need to set the crystal to work." He pulled out a few things from his pocket and moved into the very centre of the image of the console. He cleared a flat surface and placed a yellow stone and a key down and on top of that he placed the crystal. He patted the ground and Rose sat down opposite him with the crystal in the centre.

"Is it safe?" she asked looking at the crystal nervously.

"Oh, yes, completely different use for it... won't harm you at all!" he smiled happily.

"What happens?"

"Well... really we activate the crystal, it will take some readings from us and the hologram which will act as a blueprint. The power will encourage the TARDIS to grow in the way we would like. We both needed to be here to set the Rassilon Imprimetur Bond. That will recognise us as keepers of the TARDIS. We bond with it... like family. That's why you needed to be here, it's important."

He grabbed her hands and pulled them towards the crystal. They both held the crystal between them.

"Ready?" he said with a smile, the excitement glowing in his eyes.

"Yeah!"

"Yeah?"

"Yes!" He paused a fraction further, savouring the moment. Then suddenly the crystal burst into life.

A beam of bright light lit up the room overpowering the hologram. It wasn't the same as the beam that had destroyed the werewolf.

It fanned across the room scanning every part of it. It reminded Rose of all those war films she had had to endure on a Sunday afternoon with Mickey. It was like a search light running backwards and forwards.

It scanned the Doctor and Rose lingering on them for a while and then it moved on.

When the Doctor was satisfied it had taken an imprint of them he let go of the crystal and her hands with a smile.

"All done..." he said.

"That's it?"

"Yep, pretty much." He grabbed her and pulled her up to her feet wrapping his arms around her. She could feel him shaking against her.

As they walked back to the car through the wood Rose began to feel very tired.

"What time is it?" she yawned. The Doctor looked at the moon.

"Three fifteen... weeell... three seventeen and forty two seconds if you want to be precise..."

"Christ! I'm getting married today and I'm going to look so rough!"

"Not to me you won't!" They walked a little further in silent thought.

"What happens now, when will it be ready?" she asked.

"Oh, tomorrow evening should be..."

"When can we... move in?"

"Should be tomorrow as well, it'll take time for the rooms to grow but it should be enough space for the two of us."

"What was with the stone and the key?"

"Oh, just an experiment... you know that was a piece of coral from our old TARDIS and my key. I thought it might pick up some of the genetics, in theory there should be a connection to the two of them."

"Not identical?"

"Oh no, just sort of related."

"I want to know what to expect.

"Tomorrow evening we will leave our little wedding party stroll through the woods to our new little TARDIS and hopefully set ourselves off into the Vortex... then... weell... I think you might be owing me something I've been looking forward to..." Rose flushed a deep shade of red but it was too dark to see.

"It will take off tomorrow?"

"Yes, it should do. It won't be the same, it will need to learn a lot. The old TARDIS is over a thousand years old. An experienced traveller. However, in the same vein the new one won't have picked up any bad habits, it will be all untested. Everything it grows will be new and not worn out."

"So you won't be tinkering so much?" He looked at her mock seriously.

"Every TARDIS needs maintaining Rose, one has to make time for essential repairs!"

"Why did I know you would say that?" He grinned his big wide grin.

Back at the hotel they moved quietly up to their bedroom but the Doctor hesitated at the door. Rose looked at him in surprise.

"I'm too wound up and excited to sleep," he whispered holding her in his arms.

"About?"

"Everything, I'd just keep you awake."

"What will you do?"

"Oh, I won't be far, but you do need to rest. You have a big day ahead of you and I need some of your energy left for tomorrow night..."


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You gave your promise to me and I gave mine to you; I need someone beside me in everything I do. I got to keep it moving. It's written on the wind, oh, everywhere I go. So if you really love me come on and let it show... Wet Wet Wet Quote from Romeo and Juliet._

Rose stood in front of the mirror in the hotel room. The dress she was wearing was of ivory silk. It looked fantastic against the colour of her glowing skin.

The bodice was boned and cinched her in at the waist pushing her breasts up giving them more volume. From the hips it was full but gently layered in subtle embroidered voiles so it moved gracefully in the breeze from the window.

Jackie had managed to find a seamstress to use some material from the matching shawl to make a cover for her cast and, though the dress had no sleeves or straps; this made it look like she had one graceful sleeve.

Her hair was all over in ringlets and tiny little silver leaves had been threaded through it. She chose them because they reminded her of the leaves on the trees in their bonding. Gallifreyan trees.

Her bouquet was a mass of deep red roses interlaced with the same silver leaves.

Jackie was wearing an ivory suit with a deep red silk blouse. She looked every bit the mother of the bride. Her eyes filled up.

"You don't know what this means to me," she croaked.

"Don't Mum, you'll set me off... make up?"

Jactance and Tony were running around getting very excited. He was wearing a tiny traditional three piece tail suit in black with a white shirt. Jactance had on a little ivory Bo-Peep dress with a deep red sash. She also had a little straw boater with the same red trim.

Jackie was taking the children on ahead with her so Rose and Pete could come together peacefully.

"Has he got a tie or something?" Rose asked her mother as Tony bounced on the bed.

"Yes, it's in my bag, you know he'll just start yanking at it. Best to leave it till the last minute!"

After a few near tearful hugs, Rose was left on her own.

"This time last week..." she had thought all day long. She couldn't quite believe where the past few days had taken her. She thought her heart was going to burst.

There was a click from the door and Pete walked in. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Rose.

"You look... beautiful!" he said finally, his eyes welling up. She was reminded of another man, a lifetime away, saying the same to her and she smiled.

"Don't you start, Dad, I only just managed to escape the Jackie Tyler deluge!"

"Well, you will have to endure it before the day is out, you know that don't you?" She laughed and nodded.

"Oh, my God! Does no one in this family wear ties ever? The Doctor won't like it!"

"It's okay. It's in my pocket, I'll put it on in the car. Are you ready then?"

"Never been readier."

 

Meanwhile the Doctor was at Torchwood House and he was having problems. People problems. People were turning up. Lots of people. Word had got out. Word about what had happened the previous evening. People from the villages all around were arriving in droves to show thanks.

Word had reached Torchwood and they were turning up from all over the world to pay their respects to these World Defenders.

Because of this the press had got wind and so the paparazzi were all over the place. Some even in helicopters circling above.

The Doctor kept his head well enough to make sure that Torchwood agents kept people out of the woods.

Gradually he gave in and the great hall started to fill. He knew none of them, but they all had one thing in common.

To him they represented the human race and how could he turn them away? He was just beginning to enjoy himself when Jackie turned up. Her face was a picture.

"What on Earth? What are all my friends going to say, Doctor?"

"What, those friends there, Jackie?" She turned and saw some familiar faces and smiled.

"It seems that every train, plane, Zeppelin and road have been bursting all day long full of people wanting to be here." Jackie looked all about her.

"It's sort of moving though, isn't it?" she said with a small smile. She was rewarded with a huge grin.

"Yeah!" He was reminded of another time when the world had stood up for themselves. Sometimes it felt good to be appreciated.

"Best get up there then, " said Jackie, "she'll be here soon." She looked at the Doctor and grinned. 

"She's going to like that!"

He was wearing a traditional morning suit but with a twist. It was black and white pin striped. It was very well cut and fitted him perfectly and properly. He wore a deep red waistcoat and matching cravat. There was a beautiful print running through them in oranges and yellows and different shades of red. It was Gallifreyan script. He was wearing a white shirt and the Converses were ever present. Jackie did notice they were black and white and looked brand new.

He stood at the alter and for the first time in a week, he had the urge to run. Then the music started to play. He had managed to find a string quartet and given them some sheet music. He had remembered a piece of music written by a fellow Gallefreyan called Golden Murray. The tune he had chosen was called "Theme for a Rose" and, as the band struck the first few notes; his eyes started to sting.

It was perfect for her as she glided down the aisle, she looked like an angel. Pete proudly smiling looking at all the people and wondering how on earth...

The Doctor caught Rose`s eye and his face burst into the biggest grin he could muster, in fact if he tried any harder it would reach his ears.

Half way up the aisle Rose started to giggle. Was it nerves? He caught her eye and he could see it was just pure joy. As she reached his side he was on the verge of joining in.

"Rose!" he scolded lightly.

"Who are all these people? Where did they come from?" she asked stunned and calming down.

"They just turned up!"

"Nothing ever goes according to plan when you're concerned, does it?"

"You look stunning Rose," he whispered. Her eyes flickered up and down him.

"So do you, Doctor. Ssshh..." And the ceremony started.

It was unconventional to say the least. At points it almost turned into a pantomime with lots of audience participation. But at the end the Doctor got very serious as he turned to Rose.

"What's in a name? That which we call a Rose by any other name would smell as sweet..." he began quoting Shakespeare with great feeling. Then he lowered his voice so only the few people around who mattered could hear.

"Rose, that day I found you and grabbed your hand, I thought I had saved you. I couldn't have been more wrong. You saved me, Rose, and you kept on saving me. I gave up so many times and still you saved me. You gave me reason to keep on going when I felt all was lost. To keep fighting. And I promise you I will never give up again, no matter what."

She looked at him with tears in her eyes and nodded.

"My Doctor, when I met you I was a shadow. You filled my soul, filled it to  
completion. You made me whole. You are my soul mate. I promised you forever and I always intended to keep that promise. Forever."

The registrar pronounced them man and wife and they kissed. The whole room erupted into cheers making Rose and the Doctor jump. They looked around them at the chaos and noted that the aisle was completely clear.

He looked at her, she looked at him. She lifted her skirts slightly and revealed a pair of ivory coloured Converses. He took her hand.

And They ran.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _And now we are one let my soul rest in peace. At last it is done, my soul has been released. For thousands of years my soul has roamed the earth in search of you so that someday I could give birth. To know joy, joy, joy, joy. Joy and peace is mine, peace divine. And now we give thanks, give thanks for each other at peace forever, for it is done... Nina Simone_

They ran as fast as they could and didn't stop until they had cleared the gardens and boundaries of Torchwood House itself.

They stopped at the entrance to the woods.

"We shouldn't," said Rose.

"No..."

"The wedding party?"

"Yes..."

"Mum would..."

"We could just... take a look..." He grinned that manic grin, silly grin that spread right across his face and lit him up. She grinned back, her tongue touching her teeth.

"We can always go back later... it is a time machine after all..." They sped off into the woods.

"Doctor, I am going to find it hard finding the TARDIS if she's able to disguise herself!" she panted running by his side. "Can't you make it into a police box?"

"Well I could, but that would mean going back to the nineteen fifties!"

"And?"

"I was planning our first trip to be into space, not time..."

"Where?"

"Barcelona... I promised you... a long time ago!" By now they had reached their tree and Rose could just make out a door in the bark. There was a keyhole set into it. The Doctor smiled, stroking the tree. 

Rose dug inside her cast and pulled out her TARDIS key, it was glowing.

"It worked!" They grinned at each other as she placed the key inside the lock. The door opened and the Doctor picked her up and carried her inside.

It was exactly the same as their original. It was rumbling and calling to them. He set her down by the door and moved up the ramp, stroking the railings. Rose could hear the TARDIS responding to him, she could feel it.

He moved up to the console and fiddled about with some switches and dials. He looked down at Rose, still standing by the white wooden doors and he smiled with tears in his eyes. She grinned back leaning her back against them and she laughed.

He pushed the handbrake and set them off into the Vortex, then he moved quickly down the ramp.

He pressed into her, his mouth searching for hers, kissing her deeply and with full intent. He stood back and looked at her dress, a question forming on his brow. She indicated a zip in the side of it and he quickly undid it letting it fall to her ankles. She wore nothing but cream gartered stockings and the Converses. He bent down and picked up the dress as she stepped out of it. He placed it on one of the coral struts beside them.

She stood there and watched him undress, never losing eye contact with him. He removed his Converses, toeing them off into the distance, then his jacket. As he removed each layer, his pace quickened as his want became more urgent until finally he was ripping his clothes off throwing them away. Then he stood before her, his erection bouncing proud.

He moved to her and lifted her on to him. She wrapped her legs around him flinging out her arms and grabbing the door frame. He thrust himself right into her, filling her up and making her cry out. He stopped and smiled, looking into her eyes, she licked her lips and nodded slightly.

Her breath caught as he pumped into her. Her back rammed against the doors as he slipped in and out of her with some force. She flattened her arms out and moved her hips into his. His thrusting increased as he took her, claimed her. 

She arched her back and called him and he was lost looking into her black, black eyes. He could feel her muscles tightening around his taught swelling shaft.

"Come for me, my Doctor," she shouted, "come with me!" He couldn't hold on any longer and as she climaxed with him, he thrust into her and spilled his seed right into the centre of her gasping her name into her neck.

Then he stopped, panting, and she put her arms around his neck. He placed his head onto her forehead, they started to laugh huskily and out of breath. He lifted her off him and set her down. They stood holding each other for a while.

"I want to have you everywhere in here. I want to put memories of us on every inch of this ship." Rose smiled that lazy smile, letting her tongue escape her mouth again.

"Well, that was a good start!" He bent down and kissed her swollen lips, his tongue flickering into her mouth. She felt a stirring at his groin as he started to recover. She pulled back and looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Already?" she asked, surprised.

"Another benefit of my two hearts. All that blood pumping so quickly around my system allows me a super fast refractory time."

They didn't even make it up the ramp that time.

__________________________________________________________________

That is the end really. I mean, they are Rose and the Doctor in the TARDIS forever together travelling and sharing now, aren't they? However, I don't think I can completely let go. What about the wedding party? What about Jactance? I think I might be visiting every now and again!


End file.
